Korean cartoonist ordered to pay indemnities

South Korean cartoonist “Choi” has been ordered to pay $20 million won (about $17,000) by the Chuncheon District Court to Wonju City who sued the cartoonist for including offensive words about President Lee Myung-bak. The cartoon depicted family members paying respect to a soldier’s monument, but included offensive words hidden in the pattern of the monument. The city distributed 20,000 copies of the paper before readers found the hidden message before the city recalled the papers and apologized for the cartoon.