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A major legal stride for South Korea’s entertainment company HYBE was taken when it requested an American court to expose a social media user accused of defaming its groups including the globally renowned BTS and LE SSERAFIM.
According to some documents from the court, HYBE has reportedly asked for a court determination that would compel X, a social media platform – to provide the identity of X handle @guiltyarchive’s account holder.
In the legal document, HYBE's lawyer asserted that the false statements from the X account, which has over 100,000 followers, have caused irreparable harm to the firm's business and shareholders.
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The user has recently spread defamatory claims about BTS engaging in Sajaegi, the practice of artificially inflating album sales through bulk purchases or other manipulative means to boost chart positions, as well as accusations of cult involvement and plagiarism.
The request was filed at the San Francisco Division of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, where X's headquarters are located. This move is geared towards supporting a criminal complaint made by the label on May 2, 2024, with Seoul Yongsan Police Station.
HYBE's defamation case against X user and similar incidents in the K-pop industry
The action taken by the label was long overdue, considering the increase in malicious rumors and comments against the group members for an extended period. Fans of the groups have been demanding enhanced protection for their idols. They have also sent protest flowers and trucks carrying messages to HYBE’s headquarters in Seoul asking them to take legal action.
Previously, the label had remained silent on this issue despite public pressure. No spokesperson from the label could be reached despite numerous attempts, all of which occurred amidst an ongoing internal dispute with a sub-label.
In a related development, NewJeans, a group under HYBE's music subsidiary ADOR, has also pursued legal measures to unmask an anonymous YouTube user responsible for posting "false and defamatory videos" about the K-pop band.
NewJeans' attorneys have requested a California federal judge to issue a subpoena that would compel Google to disclose the user's identity. The band aims to pursue criminal charges in South Korea, where defamation laws carry stricter penalties compared to those in the United States.
Another recent incident involved K-pop singer Jang Won-young from the girl group IVE and her agency, Starship Entertainment. With Google's help, they were able to identify the person responsible for the abusive YouTube channel Sojang and pursue defamation cases against them.
Jang Won-young had been targeted by a series of defamatory attempts by this channel. The agency filed a lawsuit, and the court ruled that the YouTuber must pay 100 million KRW to the IVE member. This individual has also been found guilty of defaming other celebrities and is facing severe charges.
Meanwhile, as an update of the HYBE versus Min Hee-jin case, On May 30, 2024, a South Korean court ruled in favor of the latter, preventing the former from removing her as ADOR's CEO. Despite this setback, the label stated they would not pursue her removal but would take further legal steps, indicating the feud continues.
