SM Entertainment has provided an update on the legal action it is taking to protect NCT’s Jisung against malicious online posts and other violations of his rights.
On October 19, the agency shared the following statement:
Hello, this is SM Entertainment.
We would like to provide an update on the legal action we are taking against individuals who have violated the rights of our artist Jisung.
Regarding the case in which we filed a complaint against an individual who posted numerous posts and videos defaming and insulting our artist on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, the court of first instance recently found that the defendant’s offenses, which had continued since 2022, constituted defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc., and criminal insult. The court sentenced the defendant to a fine of 5 million won (approximately $3,757). A ruling date has now been scheduled for the appellate trial following the defendant’s appeal, and we will provide further updates as the case progresses.
In addition, we have filed criminal complaints against individuals who engaged in behavior that caused fear or anxiety to our artist, on charges including violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, the Act on Punishment of Stalking Crimes, and the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. More recently, we filed a complaint against an individual who posted 462 malicious posts about our artist online, on charges including violations of the Information and Communications Network Act, insult, and threats. The investigation is currently ongoing.
We are continuously collecting evidence of the dissemination of false information, defamation, insults, malicious slander, and personal attacks across various platforms, including X, YouTube, and SpinSpin. We will respond in accordance with our zero-tolerance policy, without settlements or leniency under any circumstances.
In particular, we will thoroughly track any further acts of infringement committed by individuals who continue to violate our artist’s rights even after legal action has been taken or a court ruling has been issued, and we will file additional complaints as necessary. We will hold those responsible accountable to the fullest extent through all available legal measures, including criminal prosecution, until such harmful behavior has completely ceased.
We would like to thank the fans for trusting our efforts and patiently waiting for a long time, even though we have been unable to provide detailed updates on the progress of these cases to avoid affecting ongoing investigations and trials.
We promise to continue taking legal action to protect the rights and interests of our artists, and we ask for our fans’ continued attention and cooperation.
Thank you.
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