Lee Chung-sang, a former commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK), filed a defamation lawsuit against the Kyunghyang Shinmun and one of its journalists, claiming that his reputation was harmed by inaccurate reporting. In initial rulings, Lee won some victories in lower courts, with a district court ordering the newspaper to pay Lee 3 million won in damages. Lee's lawsuit stemmed from a report in May 2023, where three employees of the NHRCK alleged that Lee had infringed on the personality rights of a fellow investigator during an inquiry into a satire involving President Yoon Suk-yeol. Lee contended that the claims made in the article were false and had caused him mental suffering.

The lower courts accepted Lee's arguments, with a ruling that found the newspaper's actions constituted an intentional and reckless attack that fell outside the acceptable boundaries of criticism of a public official. However, in a significant turn of events, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the defamation claims were unfounded and that the reporting by the Kyunghyang Shinmun was largely in the public interest. The court highlighted that the articles were intended to critique and monitor the handling of human rights issues within the NHRCK, thus serving a public benefit.

The Supreme Court emphasized that the reporting’s intention to address the public's interest outweighed the claims of defamation made by Lee. This decision underscores the legal protections afforded to media organizations when reporting on matters involving public officials, particularly regarding their official conduct, and reinforces the significance of public scrutiny in democratic societies. Lee’s appeal was dismissed entirely, affirming the newspaper's right to report on governance issues without the fear of legal retribution when such reporting serves the common good.