K-pop labels take legal action against internet trolls to protect their stars against defamation
- K-pop labels YG Entertainment and Hybe have both made statements declaring war on internet trolls, and promising legal action against them
- The labels, which represent BTS and Blackpink, both believe South Korea’s current fines for defamation, of around USS$1,700, are too lenient
By Dong Sun-hwa
In the past, K-pop labels treated online trolls with some generosity. When their stars were attacked on false grounds, the companies reported them to police, but usually did not take the offenders to court once they apologised.
However, in an era where the global reputations of their stars are ever more important and fake news can tarnish them instantly, the agencies are taking a tougher stance against such people.
In South Korea, defamation – whether it is based on facts or lies – and contempt can leave one liable to be prosecuted and subject to civil action. In criminal trials, the accused usually end up with a fine of around two million won (US$1,700), which the companies think is “too lenient”.
“To date, we have mostly avoided taking legal action, because we thought offensive and slanderous remarks were something that our much-loved artists should tolerate to some degree,” the company said. “But now the situation has reached an unbearable point …
“Too many people are spreading groundless rumours about our singers, libelling them and even sexually harassing them. So we filed a complaint against some internet trolls for violating the laws concerning defamation, slander and obstruction of business.”
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It added that it would continue to fight online trolls if they continued to cross the line.
“We also welcome fans’ reports about problematic online comments,” it said.
“We also reported unlogged users and those who later deleted their comments to cover their tracks,” the company said. “We will take stronger action against those who have attempted to conceal evidence.”
To prevent cyberbullying and protect the mental health of celebrities, Korea’s two most popular search engines, Naver and Daum, removed comment sections for entertainment and sports news last year.
