IVE’s Jang Wonyoung’s Agency Faces Controversy with ' 탈덕수용소' YouTube Channel in Ongoing Legal Battle
IVE’s Jang Wonyoung's agency, Starship Entertainment, is in the midst of a legal battle with the YouTube channel '탈덕수용소' (Talduk Sooyongso), which it has accused of spreading fake news.
The channel's operator, identified as A, claims that the prosecution is engaging in "media play."
On June 19, the Seoul Central District Court held the third trial in the 100 million KRW (approximately 77,000 USD) damage claim lawsuit filed by Starship Entertainment against A, the operator of '탈덕수용소'.
During the trial, the judge pointed out, "We had requested detailed responses to the list of illegal activities mentioned in the plaintiff's October 27, 2023, document.
However, the submission on April 2 does not seem to be detailed enough."
The judge also inquired about the status of the criminal case involving similar charges against A that had been mentioned in previous proceedings.
A's lawyer responded, "The indictment has been filed, but the trial has not yet started.
The prosecution has issued press releases about the case, which we believe amounts to disclosing facts of the crime publicly.
They initially requested a warrant to detain the defendant, which was denied, and then attempted to combine it with another case and reapply, but that was also denied.
It appears they are continuing with media play, though the intent behind this is unclear."
The judge replied, "It's ultimately a matter of credibility and how it is assessed."
Starship Entertainment's lawyer agreed, stating, "Submitting only the records regarding this should be sufficient."
The next hearing is scheduled for August 14.
Starship Entertainment filed the lawsuit in January, stating, "Since November 2022, we have been pursuing civil and criminal lawsuits, both domestically and internationally, against '탈덕수용소' for persistently harassing our artists.
'탈덕수용소' has caused severe defamation by spreading false information and has disrupted our operations, causing serious distress to our artists and fans. We are making every effort to hold them accountable through ongoing legal proceedings."
The channel '탈덕수용소' has garnered criticism for spreading unfounded rumors and fake news about various K-pop artists, with Jang Wonyoung among its targets.
This led Starship Entertainment to take strong legal action in July 2023, resulting in a partial victory for Jang Wonyoung in October 2023, although A has appealed the decision and requested a stay of execution on the verdict.
Known for spreading misleading information and malicious rumors, '탈덕수용소' has been notorious for exploiting celebrities to increase viewership, causing significant confusion and harm.
In September 2023, major music organizations urged strict punishment for such malicious content creators.
Starship Entertainment obtained a court order for information disclosure from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in May 2023, and this month announced that it had received significant information about the operator from Google’s headquarters. The agency has expressed strong commitment to legal action, achieving an initial favorable ruling.
In the first hearing, A's lawyer claimed that the actions were for public interest and that they were unaware the content was false.
During the second hearing, Starship Entertainment’s lawyer noted, "There is no direct element to consider between the plaintiff's damage and the defendant's profit.
The revenue from the videos made due to defamation and business interference by A has not been clearly identified as it overlaps with total earnings. The entire earnings are not distinguishable due to A deleting the account.
Besides this lawsuit, two other cases are ongoing, with one being a criminal case involving a different victim, and the other filed by us with the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, which is soon to conclude."
