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| GettyImagesBank |
By Pyo Kyung-min
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| NCT's member Mark / Courtesy of skyDrama |
SM Entertainment, which manages NCT, announced on Aug. 21 that it identified the suspect who distributed malicious posts targeting member Mark, but granted leniency. The agency disclosed that Mark himself expressed his willingness to show mercy, considering the suspect's status as a minor.
"We upheld our zero-tolerance stance to protect our artists. However, we weighed the circumstances that the individual in question was a minor, showed genuine remorse, and sought forgiveness during the investigation. In line with Mark's willingness to grant clemency, we have chosen not to pursue criminal charges. The individual has issued a formal apology and promised to prevent a recurrence, which we have acknowledged," the agency explained.
In contrast, an online troll who directed malicious comments for eight years at Suzy, a former member of girl group, Miss A, was not as fortunate.
A court imposed a 500,000 won ($378) fine on a man in his 40s for posting malicious comments aimed at Suzy and a higher court reaffirmed that ruling last month. The same individual was indicted in 2015 for posting offensive remarks about Suzy and subsequently received an actual penalty.
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| Singer IU (left), and Suzy, both victims of online trolls / Captured from IU, Suzy's social media |
Renowned singer IU has also dealt with an online troll.
In 2022, IU's agency, EDAM Entertainment, took action against an online troll who had persistently insulted and launched personal attacks against IU online since 2019. The perpetrator was found guilty and received a sentence of eight months in prison suspended for two years.
In response, IU's agency said, "We are fully committed to enforcing strict measures to ensure that creators of malicious content towards our artists can face serious legal consequences at any given time." It added, "No compromises or leniency will be considered throughout this procedure."
Furthermore, K-pop girl group Ive took steps by filing a complaint against an online troll in October 2022. This led to the perpetrator being sentenced to six months in prison, as well as facing employment restrictions and being listed on sex crime registries.
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| K-pop girl group Ive / Courtesy of Starship Entertainment |
Ive has also been pursuing both civil and criminal legal actions against the YouTube channel, "Sojang," since November 2022. The channel, whose account has been deleted, was notorious for spreading false rumors about Korean celebrities.
Starship Entertainment, Ive's agency, emphasized that regardless of any apologies issued by the channel, legal measures will be taken for its past hurtful activities.
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