Kim Yu-na

By Kang Seung-woo, Jung Min-ho

Olympic champion Kim Yu-na dropped a defamation lawsuit against Yonsei University professor Hwang Sang-min Friday.

“We filed the suit to receive an apology from professor Hwang and to prove she takes her studies seriously. Although he did not sincerely apologize, she is known to have done her teaching practice well and we dropped the suit,” said Lee Sang-hun, Kim’s lawyer.

Despite the explanation for not pursuing legal action, there is little evidence to substantiate it. On the contrary, Hwang provoked Kim’s side further, so some industry watchers say that it was a tactical retreat to control damage to the figure skater’s image.

“If a lawsuit is filed in Korea, the images of both plaintiff and defendant are often seen to be wrong. Kim’s side will not be able to take the case to the final phase with a guarantee that no harm is done to her reputation,” an official of the entertainment business said on condition of anonymity.

The 21-year-old gold medalist at the Vancouver Games is a hotshot in the Korean advertising industry, shooting various commercials from dairy products to detergent and jewelry. She has not competed since the World Championships in May, 2011.

Kim sued the 49-year-old psychology professor last week after her agency, headed by her mother, threatened to sue him for calling her teaching practice a “show.”

Kim, a senior majoring in physical education at Korea University, recently finished her four-week teaching practice at Jin-seon Girls’ High School in southern Seoul as part of her degree.

“I think my intention was overly misrepresented by many media companies. Although I mentioned Kim’s name on the show, she was not the issue I wanted to talk about,” Hwang told The Korea Times. “Rather, I wanted to bring up the problems within the college system that give out diplomas to people who do not deserve them.”

Following the suit, reactions have turned favorably toward Hwang.

“Although Hwang’s remarks displeased Kim, his criticism is reasonable to an extent,” Jin Joong-kwon, professor of Dong-A University, said on Twitter. “Considering Kim’s image, a legal action is not desirable.”

A lawyer anonymously also said that the figure skater could be damaged in terms of her image, seen as role model for young people.

“Regardless of the outcome, a libel action does not add any value to her image,” he said.

He also said that as Kim is now seen more as an entertainer rather than an athlete, it may have affected the decision to drop the lawsuit.