A Seoul court ordered the Chosun Ilbo newspaper and one of its reporters to pay 17 million won (US$12,490) in compensation to former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and his daughter for using an illustration of them in an irrelevant news article involving robbery and prostitution.

Cho, now head of the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party, and his daughter, Cho Min, filed a damages suit in June 2021, seeking 1 billion won in compensation from the newspaper for using an illustration of them in a story about a case of robbery and prostitution.

The Chosun Ilbo admitted to the mistake and apologized two days after the article was published.

On Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Court ordered the newspaper and its reporter to pay 7 million won to Cho and 10 million won to his daughter.

The illustration had initially been used in a column that criticized Cho and his daughter in connection with academic fraud that involved them.

Source: Yonhap News Agency