Christina Kim claim: Korean paper portrayed her as 'traitor'

The LPGA's Christina Kim has sued the JoongAng Sunday, a Korean newspaper, for defamation and libel, claiming that it characterized her as a traitor to Korea in a series of articles, according to this story in the Korea Times.

Kim, who once held dual citizenship in Korea and the United States, now is solely an American citizen. The articles in question said that she complained about having been introduced as from Korea at the LPGA Hana Bank/KOLON Championship, the Korea Times reports. It cites this passage from the JoongAng Sunday as well: "She wouldn't want to be related to Korea anymore since she knows acting Korean wouldn't do her any good. There are more compatible players out there, meaning there's less of a chance for her to grab Korean sponsors anyway."

"Kim's attorneys refuted the claim," the Korea Times reports. "Lawyer Han Sang-hyeok claimed that Kim made no complaints at the tournament. 'She has no harsh feeling about being called Korean because she understands that it means a lot to her family,' he said."

Kim, incidentally, was born in San Jose, Calif.

-- John Strege