K-pop stars take stern actions against malicious comments, false accusations

BTS. Image: BigHit Music via The Korea Herald

The time for lenience is over. An increasing number of K-pop artists are taking a stand against hateful comments and rumors by pursuing legal action and declaring they will not settle under any circumstances.

Previously, K-pop musicians were eager to hush up rumors about them when they arose — whether they were true or not — hoping to avoid trouble as much as possible.

Their agencies also believed that taking strong action would only create a “Streisand effect” — making the rumors better known to the public and further taint the artists’ reputations. However, technologies have evolved to the point where people can create fake evidence that looks authentic, and fans have started to ask agencies to do more to protect their artists.

“Recently, the severity of hateful comments and the spread of false rumors has greatly increased with so many video sources readily available (online), nowadays. Also, as platforms (like TikTok and Instagram) have diversified and technologies like deepfake have advanced, what used to be simple rumors have become more provocative and exaggerated, causing significant harm to artists,” a local entertainment official said Friday, June 28.

The official also pointed out that the K-pop fans’ attitudes had changed, and they now encourage musicians and their agencies to react more strongly.

“In the past, when K-pop artists took legal action, some fans would criticize them for taking ‘unnecessary’ stern action. But now, fans agree that strong responses are imperative in eradicating these bad practices and protecting their idols’ fame,” the official added.

ADOR, a music label home to the popular K-pop girl band NewJeans under HYBE, announced through its artist’s fan community Friday that it was regularly taking legal action against people who upload malicious content, including defamation, insults, and sexual harassment. They are also providing updates on the progress of these legal actions.

NewJeans. Image: ADOR via The Korea Herald

“In particular, the police are investigating individuals who committed intolerable acts, such as creating and distributing or (even) selling fabricated obscene photos using the artist’s likeness. It has been confirmed that some of these individuals have already been criminally convicted” Ador said in a statement Saturday.

BigHit Music, the agency of K-pop phenomenon BTS, released a statement on the same day, saying the company had submitted multiple complaints to investigative agencies in the second quarter of this year.

In May, suspicions spread online about a connection between Hybe and Dahn World, a contentious meditation company. Claims include that the president of Global Cyber University, from which six of the seven BTS members (excluding Jin) graduated, is the founder of Dahn World, and that lyrics in the BTS songs are related to the organization. Both parties denied the rumors.

“Such complaints are based on evidence gathered through reports from fans and our own monitoring efforts, documenting acts of insult, defamation, and other violations of our artists’ rights,” BigHit said in a statement.

Defamation and insulting language, such as cursing, can both be subject to criminal charges in South Korea.

So far most action is directed at fans based in Korea, where such legal options exist. Strong legal action against comments made overseas is still rare.

Rapper Zico also filed a police complaint seeking an investigation into malicious comments directed at him on June 26.

An investigative TV series “Unanswered Questions,” aired by terrestrial broadcaster SBS, on June 22, revealed a sketch of the suspect in the late Goo Hara’s safe burglary case. Following the broadcast, rumors that the rapper was the burglar rapidly spread online.

The agency collected posts and comments from various online communities and social media platforms and submitted a complaint to the investigative authorities. It promised to monitor for evidence of problematic posts continually and regularly file complaints.

“The spread of malicious rumors and false information, which have been proven to have no relation to the artist, has reached an intolerable level of severity. We have determined that strong legal action against these individuals is urgently needed,” KOZ Entertainment, Zico’s agency under HYBE, said in a statement.

“Even if it takes time, we will hold them accountable to the end. There will be no leniency or settlement under any circumstances,” the agency said.

Music critic Kim Do-heon agreed music labels must take a firm stance against hateful comments and the spread of false information, especially in the K-pop scene, where there are many baseless rumors and unfounded gossip.

“In the past, the high costs of legal action and the difficulty of investigating platforms like YouTube or international online communities made it challenging to pursue lawsuits. However, with the increasing value of K-pop artists, their agencies have started to take a firmer stance,” Kim said Friday. “A good example is the recent case involving K-pop idol Jang Won-young of a popular girl group IVE, where an investigation on a YouTuber (in collaboration with Google’s headquarters in the US) helped block false rumors about her.”

In December 2023, Jang and Starship Entertainment won a partial victory in a 100 million won ($72,360) damages lawsuit against an operator of the notorious YouTube channel “Sojang.”

Jang Wonyoung (center). Image: YouTube/Star News Korea

Earlier, in May that year, Starship Entertainment obtained an information disclosure order from the US District Court for the Northern District of California. It helped the agency to receive the YouTube operator’s personal information from Google this month, which is requisite in filing a legal charge in Korea.

The controversial channel closed as of June 23, last year, and the investigation that prosecuted the operator of Sojang for defaming Jang was recognized as an exemplary case by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office last Wednesday.

“I believe it is only fair to penalize malicious commenters to protect the artists,” the music critic said.