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Following Wonyoung's legal victory, it is reported that HYBE and KQ Entertainment would recommence their police probe into YouTuber Sojang. Several K-pop groups were impacted by the remarks made by the YouTube video creator, including BTS, ATEEZ, TXT, Red Velvet, NewJeans, and IVE.
Previously, on January 17, 2024, in a victory for their legal case, Starship Entertainment gave an update on their lawsuit against YouTuber Sojang for disseminating untrue information about its artists, which includes Jang Won-young, aka Wonyoung of IVE—Law Times reported that on December 21, 2023, the Seoul Central District Court found itself in favor of the singer and mandated that Jang get ₩100 million (about $74,760.48 or £59,000) in damages.
Fans came together in unison as they lauded HYBE and KQ Entertainment as they reportedly resumed a police investigation against YouTuber Sojang.
"Lawsuits after lawsuits": HYBE & KQ Entertainment set to sue Sojang after identifying Sojang via Wonyoung's case
A major win in the litigation was achieved last month when the Seoul Central District Court's 210th Civil Division decided in favor of Jang Won-young and Starship Entertainment. Previously, Starship Entertainment had already filed lawsuits against YouTubers—including IVE—who disseminated inaccurate information about its performers.
For those unfamiliar, YouTuber Sojang is infamous for posting videos in which he openly denigrates K-pop singers and prominent individuals by making absurd allegations about them. Skeptics who are not K-pop fans have watched his channel and believed these unfounded charges. His YouTube channel received numerous views due to these statements, which went viral.
Several record labels attempted to file lawsuits for damages against the Sojang owner earlier. However, the privacy controls on YouTube hindered their attempts, making it impossible for them to get personal data on the person behind Sojang.
The YouTuber had previously attacked Taehyung of BTS, claiming that he was involved in a severe incident and had produced a drunken commotion. BTS member Kim Taehyung brought up the matter with his worldwide fan base on Weverse, threatening to sue the YouTuber for defaming him and his friends and family.
Taehyung said,
"Oh?!! I'll proceed with the lawsuit. My snack fund would come from it. He's even messing with my friends and family goodbye."
He added,
"I just looked at something, but not only us, but all the artists hate that person. All the fans, Ami, may or may not have been monitored, but I will sue them on behalf of those who are hurt and uncourageous."
Furthermore, the contentious YouTube channel Sojang had previously accused ATEEZ of being "cheap" towards fans who came to the performance of the 2022 Idol Star Athletics Championship. Following this harrowing accusation, KQ Entertainment gave ATEEZ fans an update on August 17, 2022, on the status of their lawsuit against the hostile YouTube channel.
A defamation case was filed in 2021 by BigHit Music (now HYBE), representing BTS. A similar action was filed in 2022 by KQ Entertainment, the agency for ATEEZ. However, YouTube's inability to provide sufficient identifying information was a significant obstacle to advancing the claims.
However, Starship Entertainment got crucial data from IVE during the most recent Wonyoung lawsuit. This was since Wonyoung was underage when Sojang released the damaging videos. Sojang received an information disclosure injunction from the US District Court in May 2023, and they were able to gather relevant information on the Sojang channel operator from Google headquarters in the United States in July of the same year.
As a result, fans of several K-pop bands, including BTS, ATEEZ, TXT, Red Velvet, ATEEZ, and NewJeans, rejoiced as the malicious YouTube perpetrator would be brought to justice for tainting the reputations of idols and causing them distress.
More about Wonyoung and Starship Entertainment's lawsuit against YouTube channel Sojang
Starship Entertainment reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rights of its artists in a statement issued on July 25, 2023. They specifically mentioned their concern for safeguarding artists from malicious defamation, the dissemination of false information, personal assaults, and libelous & slanderous posts.
Since November 2022, Starship, for its part, has been pursuing legal and criminal proceedings against YouTuber Sojang—whom the media has identified as Mr Park—some of which have even reached international jurisdiction. Park is charged with circulating untrue reports about Wonyoung, including those concerning an alleged romance she had with a famous man.
Nonetheless, Sojang's channel manager, accused of security breaches, removed already-published videos on YouTube, apologized online to the idol and terminated the channel account after Google warned Sojang of the data disclosure mandate. According to reports, Wonyoung requested reparations for what amounted to personal harm.
The court has mandated that Sojang reimburse damages of 100 million KRW, or roughly 74,532.87 USD, plus interest at 12% each year until the entire sum is repaid. Regarding legal problems, the agency intends to provide another official statement after all judgments are finalized.
To protect the rights of its artists—including their professional standing, privacy, and human rights—the agency keeps a close eye on things. They stress that should defamation or alternative harm to the artists arise, and they will pursue all available legal options without showing mercy.
Jang Won-young, better known by her stage name Wonyoung, is a popular K-pop idol from South Korea. She is a part of the Starship Entertainment-signed South Korean girl group IVE.
