Areum (real name Lee Areum), a former member of the group T-ara, was sentenced to two years of probation on charges of child abuse and defamation.

According to the legal community on the 16th, the 9th Criminal Division of the Ansan Branch of the Suwon District Court (Chief Judge Yoon Sang-do) held a sentencing hearing for Lee Areum and sentenced her to eight months in prison and two years of probation. Along with this, she was also ordered to attend 40 hours of child abuse prevention classes.

Lee A-reum was sent to trial on charges of emotionally abusing her ex-husband by swearing at him in front of her children and defaming Mr. A, who made public a court ruling about her boyfriend, by slandering him on an internet broadcast.

The court ruled that Lee A-reum admits to all of the child abuse charges and that she should be severely criticized for causing severe mental damage to the rightful custodian of the victimized child.

In addition, regarding the defamation charge, she said, “Although she said she did not have the intent (to defame victim A), there was no effort to confirm the facts regarding the absurd content, so it is judged that there was at least ‘necessary intent’. “Considering that the remarks were made during a broadcast and the relationship with the victim, it is acknowledged that there was an intent to defame,” he explained.

On this day, the court also sentenced Lee Areum’s mother, who was indicted on child abuse charges along with Lee Areum, to four months in prison and one year of probation.

Meanwhile, Lee Areum joined T-ara in 2012 and left the team after a year. After that, she married an older businessman in 2019 and had two sons, but in December 2023, she announced that she was in the middle of a divorce suit with her ex-husband and that she would register her marriage with her boyfriend as soon as the suit was over.

Lee A-reum claimed that her ex-husband had abused their children during their marriage and also released photos of herself being subjected to domestic violence by her ex-husband.

As a result of the police investigation, the child abuse charges against her ex-husband were not acknowledged, and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors‘ Office found Lee A-reum’s ex-husband “not guilty” (insufficient evidence).

In the meantime, Lee A-reum, who is currently remarried to her boyfriend, announced the news of her third child in November of last year and is currently pregnant with her fourth.

Kim Seung-hyun, Donga.com reporter tmdgus@donga.com
Reporter Seunghyun Kim, Donga.com tmdgus@donga.com