Jung Eun-ji (IST Entertainment)

A South Korean woman was given a suspended jail term for stalking singer-actress Jung Eunji, a local court said Thursday.

Seoul Central District Court handed a one-year prison term, suspended for two years, to the 59-year-old defendant surnamed Jo, who was indicted for violating the Act on Punishment of Crime of Stalking. She was also ordered to pay a 100,000 won ($75) fine, perform 120 hours of community service and complete a 40-hour lecture program to protect against stalking recidivism.

According to investigators, Jo first approached the Apink member in March of 2020 when she sent the victim a message saying, "Would you accept me as your butler, your companion?" She followed Jung on a motorcycle from Yeouido to Cheongdam-dong in May of the same year, while waiting for the victim at her apartment in April and July of 2021.

She had been warned by police in 2021 not to approach the victim again, after which, she vowed to the star's agency never to text her again.

Despite the pledge, she kept sending Jung messages via phone and the DearU bubble private chatroom service, which Jung and other South Korean celebrities used to communicate with fans during the COVID-19-induced social distancing measures. Jo's stalking forced Jung to discontinue using the service.

"The defendant's constant messaging is beyond the extent that is to be expected from a fan to a celebrity... Even if the victim had joined bubble or Instagram to communicate with the public, it cannot be regarded that she had consented to any form of communication," the court said in its verdict.

South Korean law stipulates a maximum three-year prison term or 30 million won fine to those convicted of stalking.

Jung, 30, debuted in 2011 as a member of K-pop group Apink, making her debut as a solo artist in 2016. In 2012, she made her acting debut by starring in the tvN drama "Reply 1997," garnering positive responses for her realistic depiction of a K-pop fan from Busan -- where she also grew up.