HYBE has provided updates on the ongoing legal measures taken to protect their artists from malicious activities.
On December 27, updates on the progress of legal proceedings against malicious activities violating the rights of HYBE artists—including BTS, TXT, SEVENTEEN, TWS, Hwang Minhyun, Baekho, NewJeans, ILLIT, Zico, and BOYNEXTDOOR—were shared through the official social media channels of each artist.
BTS
Hello.
This is BIGHIT MUSIC.We regularly initiate legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities targeting BTS, including defamation, personal attacks, sexual harassment, the dissemination of false information, and ill-intentioned criticism. Below is the summary of our key activities:
Since our previous notice, multiple suspects whose cases were forwarded to the prosecution have been fined up to two million won. Among them were individuals who continued uploading malicious posts despite being penalized in earlier complaints. One defendant, who posted hundreds of insulting and defamatory statements on their personal blog, has been convicted and fined a total of five million won. We remain committed to ensuring that suspects with ongoing investigations and legal proceedings are held accountable and face appropriate penalties.
Ongoing cases, including the damages lawsuit against “Taldeok Camp” and civil and criminal lawsuits related to the leak of artists’ personal information as well as stalking, are currently under progress. We will make sure that legal action is taken against all individuals who have infringed upon our artists’ rights.
We continue to address malicious rumors about our artists and attempts to defame them. This quarter, we have gathered evidence of malicious posts across multiple platforms including DCInside (including BTS Gallery), Nate Pann, Instiz, Ilgan Best, TheQoo, and others, based on fan reports and our internal monitoring system. These cases have been submitted to investigative authorities as criminal complaints.
Furthermore, we are collecting, reporting, and pursuing legal action against malicious posts targeting BTS members currently fulfilling their military service. We maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy, with no settlements or leniency extended to offenders.
BIGHIT MUSIC is always open to reports from fans regarding violations of our artists’ rights. If you encounter malicious posts or illegal activities involving our artists, please report them through the “HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Website (https://protect.hybecorp.com).”
We are always grateful for your affection and support for BTS. We will continue striving to safeguard the rights of our artists.
Thank you.
TXT
Hello.
This is BIGHIT MUSIC.Our company regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities targeting TOMORROW X TOGETHER, including defamation, personal attacks, sexual harassment, the dissemination of false information, and ill-intentioned criticism. Below is the summary of our key activities:
We have collected comprehensive evidence of malicious posts and comments that damage our artists’ reputation through fan reports and internal monitoring initiatives. Evidence has been gathered across various online communities, social media platforms and web portals both domestic and international, including Ilgan Best, DCInside, TheQoo, Instiz, Nate Pann, music streaming sites, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
We are actively monitoring and addressing acts of insult, mockery, ill-intentioned criticism, sexual harassment, and the malicious and organized dissemination of false information about our artists. This includes monitoring malicious and false rumors concerning their album and streaming performance, sexually harassing posts targeting members, and violations of artists’ privacy.
Based on our thorough collection of evidence, we have filed criminal complaints to the investigative authority, and will fully cooperate with police investigations to ensure that the perpetrators face appropriate penalties.
We will continue to take firm legal action against malicious posts and any activities that infringe upon our artists’ rights, with no settlements or leniency extended under any circumstances.Your interest and reports are of great help in our legal response. If you encounter malicious posts or illegal activities involving our artists, please report them through the “HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Website (https://protect.hybecorp.com).”
We are always grateful for your love and support for TOMORROW X TOGETHER. We will continue striving to safeguard the rights of our artists.
Thank you.
SEVENTEEN
Hello.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.We conduct regular legal action against those who upload malicious posts targeting SEVENTEEN, and would like to update you on our progress. Through our real-time monitoring system and reports, we have identified malicious posts and comments that defame, insult, and criticize the artists by stating false information.
We have gathered evidence through our monitoring initiatives and fan reports. We have placed emphasis on identifying and addressing the creation and dissemination of false rumors regarding the artists’ album performance. Strict legal action is being taken against malicious posts targeting our artists across various platforms, including social media and online communities. Our legal complaints include individuals responsible for posting false information, insults, sexual harassment, and other harmful content on Korean platforms (Nate Pann, DCInside, TheQoo, Ilgan Best, Instiz, Daum Cafe, etc.), music streaming sites, as well as international social media channels. We reaffirm our commitment to pursuing strong legal measures against any actions that infringe upon our artists’ rights.
Your interest and reports are of great help in our legal response. We are always grateful for your love and support for SEVENTEEN, and should you encounter malicious posts or illegal activities involving them, please report them through the “HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Website ( https://protect.hybecorp.com ).”
We will continue striving to safeguard the rights of our artists.
Thank you.
TWS
Hello.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.We continuously gather evidence of malicious posts targeting TWS through fan reports and internal monitoring, which we use as the basis for our regular legal proceedings to safeguard our artists’ rights. Below is the summary of the progress to date:
First, we would like to share updates on the case that received the fastest disposition result among the complaints filed in the first half of the year. The charges involved the posting of malicious content that damaged the artists’ reputation by spreading false rumors of so-called sajaegi (chart manipulation). The individuals responsible have been found guilty, and a fine has been finalized. Additionally, police investigations into several malicious posts have been concluded and forwarded to the prosecution, with multiple accused parties currently under investigation. We are currently awaiting the prosecutorial disposition for these suspects and remain committed to ensuring that they are duly penalized to the full extent of the law.
We take regular legal action against individuals responsible for malicious posts targeting TWS, including defamation, insults, sexual harassment, false information, and ill-intentioned criticism. During the second half of this year, leveraging our real-time monitoring system and valuable reports from fans, we have collected comprehensive evidence of malicious posts and comments about our artists on various online communities, social media platforms and web portals both domestic and international, including DCInside, TheQoo, Instiz, Nate Pann, Ilgan Best (Ilbe), X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and others. Our complaints include all individuals who have spread false information, engaged in sexual harassment, or post derogatory remarks mocking or insulting the artists’ nationality, and they have been submitted to investigative authorities. We will continue to regularly monitor and collect evidence of malicious posts and proceed with our legal responses.
We would like to reaffirm our commitment to taking strong legal action against the creation and dissemination of unfounded rumors, including those concerning reverse viral marketing and album/digital streaming manipulation. We are closely monitoring posts and comments in real-time, and any materials identified are being included in our complaints. We wish to emphasize again that such rumors are absolutely untrue. We remain steadfast in pursuing all possible legal avenues to prevent the spread of false information that could damage the reputation of our artists, ensuring that their rights and dignity are protected.
Moving forward, we will continue to take firm action against those who upload malicious posts, utilizing evidence collected through fan reports and our monitoring system. We will reinforce our real-time monitoring and evidence collection efforts, and will actively cooperate with investigative authorities to ensure that individuals engaging in such illegal activities are held accountable under applicable laws.
Your interest and support are of great help in our legal response. If you encounter any malicious posts or illegal activities involving our artists, please report them through the “HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Website (https://protect.hybecorp.com)
We are always grateful for your generous love and unwavering support for TWS. We will continue striving to safeguard the rights of our artists.
Thank you.
Hwang Minhyun
Hello.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.We are continuously collecting malicious posts including defamation, insults, sexual harassment, the dissemination of false information, and ill-intended criticism about our artist HWANG MIN HYUN through valuable fan reports and internal real-time monitoring, as part of our efforts to safeguard his rights. We are taking regular legal action against those who upload malicious posts based on such evidence.
In the second half of the year, we have collected comprehensive evidence of malicious posts and comments targeting the artist across various online communities and social media platforms through valuable fan reports and our internal monitoring initiative. We focused on identifying activities that violate the artist’s privacy or damage his reputation by spreading false information, and have filed criminal complaints to the investigative authorities that extend to all individuals responsible for violation of privacy, creation and distribution of groundless rumors, as well as sexual harassment, threats, defamation, and insults.
Moving forward, we will continue to prioritize our artist’s rights and take strict legal measures against those responsible for defamation, insults, sexual harassment, spread of false information, and ill-intended criticism targeting the artist. We will further reinforce real-time monitoring and evidence collection, and actively cooperate with the investigative authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are punished in accordance with relevant laws. We will continue to take strong legal action without extending any settlements or leniency.
Your interest and reports are of great help in our legal response. If you encounter malicious posts or illegal activities involving our artist, please report them through the “HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Website (https://protect.hybecorp.com)”
We are always grateful for your generous love and support for HWANG MIN HYUN. We will strive to safeguard the rights of our artist.
Thank you.
Baekho
Hello.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.We regularly initiate legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities related to BAEKHO, including defamation, personal attacks, sexual harassment, the dissemination of false information, and ill-intentioned criticism. Below is the summary of our key activities:
We collect evidence through our advanced internal monitoring system and valuable fan reports, as a part of our efforts to protect our artist’s rights. While most malicious posts are deleted after posting to avoid leaving evidence, we are collecting all evidence through our internal system that supports real-time monitoring and evidence collection. We would also like to inform you that anonymous posts can still be traced and legally punished through police investigation. The latest round of legal complaints includes all malicious posts containing insults including sexual harassment, as well as numerous posts that continue to spread rumors that are clearly untrue. We would like to inform you that evidence of these posts have been collected and complaints have been submitted to the jurisdictional police station.
We would like to reaffirm that we will take strong legal action against individuals responsible for malicious posts that infringe upon the artist’s rights. We will continue to take strong legal action without any settlements or leniency extended to the perpetrators.
Your interest and reports are of great help in our legal response. We are always grateful for your love and support for BAEKHO, and should you encounter malicious posts or illegal cases related to him, please report them through the “HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Website (https://protect.hybecorp.com)”
Thank you for your love and support for BAEKHO.
We will continue striving to safeguard the rights of the artist.Thank you.
NewJeans
Hello.
This is ADOR.Our company regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities targeting NewJeans, including defamation, personal attacks, sexual harassment, the dissemination of false information, and ill-intentioned criticism.
As a result of our previous efforts, several perpetrators have faced legal penalties for their criminal actions. The Supreme Court has finalized a fine of several million won against individuals who fabricated, distributed and/or sold explicit photos by manipulating the artists’ images. Additionally, multiple fines have been imposed on individuals responsible for heinous and defamatory comments. We also confirm that several individuals who posted malicious content anonymously have been identified, and police investigations, as well as legal proceedings are actively in progress.
Furthermore, we have gathered comprehensive evidence of activities infringing upon the rights of our artists via valuable fan reports and our real-time monitoring system, and have filed complaints with the investigative authorities against multiple authors of such posts. These complaints target individuals who have written derogatory posts mocking the artists’ nationality and appearance, as well as those who have uploaded sexually objectifying or degrading posts and comments.
Our legal complaints extend to those who have posted false information, insults, sexual harassment, and other malicious posts and comments on both domestic and international platforms (DCInside, Ilgan Best, Naver, YouTube, etc.).
Our stance remains firm, with a zero-tolerance policy regarding violations of our artists’ rights. We will continue to diligently collect evidence across all domestic and international platforms through real-time monitoring and remain steadfast in pursuing legal action against offenders.
Your interest and reports are of great help in our legal response.
Please report any malicious actions through the “HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Website (https://protect.hybecorp.com),” which was launched in September.We are always grateful for your love and support for NewJeans. We remain dedicated to safeguarding the rights of our artists.
Thank you.
ILLIT
Hello. This is BELIFT LAB.
We continuously gather evidence of malicious posts targeting ILLIT via fan reports and our internal monitoring system to safeguard the artists’ rights. Below is the summary of our key activities:
Regarding the legal complaints referenced in our previous notice, we would like to inform you that several suspects have been identified, and their investigations and legal proceedings are currently underway. In cases where procedures progressed swiftly, fines for defamation have already been imposed. We remain committed to ensuring that suspects in unresolved cases face severe penalties under the law.
We regularly file complaints against individuals who infringe upon the rights of our artists. These legal complaints target individuals who post false information, insults, sexual harassment, or other malicious content on Korean online communities (Nate Pann, DCInside, TheQoo, Ilgan Best, Instiz, Daum Cafe, etc.), music streaming sites, and international social media platforms (X, Instagram, YouTube, etc.). Once again, we reiterate our stance that we will take strong legal action with no leniency against baseless criticism and the dissemination of false information about our artists.
Additionally, comments on ILLIT’s official accounts that go beyond personal impressions and contain defamatory or insulting content about the artists, as well as comments unrelated to ILLIT, may be removed after evidence is collected for legal action.
We continuously collect real-time evidence of malicious posts, including those deleted by perpetrators in an attempt to avoid accountability. Based on this evidence, we have submitted criminal complaints to investigative authorities and will continue to regularly monitor, collect, and respond to such content through legal channels.
We remain steadfast in protecting the rights of our artists, and will continue to take strict action against perpetrators of malicious posts based on the evidence collected through fan reports and our monitoring system. We will pursue them relentlessly, with no settlements or leniency extended under any circumstances.
Your interest and reports are of great help in our legal response. If you encounter malicious posts or illegal activities involving our artists, please report them through the “HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Website (https://protect.hybecorp.com).”
We deeply appreciate your unwavering love and support for ILLIT. We are fully committed to protecting the rights of our artists.
Thank you.
Zico
Hello.
This is KOZ entertainment.We continuously collect malicious posts targeting ZICO through fan reports and our internal monitoring system to protect the rights of the artist and are taking regular legal action based on the evidence collected. Below is the summary of the progress to date:
Investigations into complaints filed during the first half of the year are still ongoing at the investigative authority. We are currently awaiting the disposition results for these cases and will fully cooperate with the investigative authority to ensure that severe penalties are imposed in accordance with relevant laws.
Notably, we take the ongoing dissemination of malicious rumors and false information, despite it being formally acknowledged that the incident mentioned is entirely unrelated to the artist, with the utmost seriousness. During the second half of this year, we have included in our legal complaints all individuals who created or spread such baseless rumors, engaged in defamation, insults, mockery, or malicious criticism on various online communities, social media platforms, and web portals both domestically and internationally. Based on this evidence, we have submitted complaints to the investigative authorities.
We also reiterate our commitment to collecting additional evidence of malicious posts and comments and taking strong legal actions. Dissemination of false information and malicious criticism constitutes a grave violation of the artist’s rights and dignity, and we will ensure that all perpetrators are duly punished under the law. Our stance remains firm, with a zero-tolerance policy regarding the violation of our artists’ rights. No leniency or settlements will be extended to individuals responsible for such actions.
Your interest and reports are of great help in our legal response. If you encounter malicious posts or illegal activities involving our artist, please report them through the “HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Website (https://protect.hybecorp.com).”
We are always grateful for your generous love and support for ZICO. We will continue striving to safeguard the rights of the artist.
Thank you.
BOYNEXTDOOR
Hello.
This is KOZ Entertainment.We continuously gather evidence of malicious posts targeting BOYNEXTDOOR via fan reports and our internal monitoring efforts to safeguard the artists’ rights.
Recently, we have identified numerous instances of false information and fabricated personal details about our artists being sold for profit, causing harm to their reputation. We have filed formal complaints against these activities based on the evidence collected. Such legal measures will continue through ongoing monitoring, as the sale of such illegal information not only infringes upon our artists’ rights but may also result in financial harm to the buyers.
Since our last notice, we have filed complaints regarding malicious posts defaming our artists through deceptive tactics, including impersonation of company employees, and investigations are currently underway. Additionally, we have submitted complaints concerning various other malicious posts and will actively cooperate with investigative authorities to ensure those responsible face appropriate legal consequences.
Lastly, repeatedly visiting artists’ homes or persistently contacting them through phone calls and messages constitutes severe harassment and is a criminal offense punishable by law. We reiterate that we will take strict legal action against such behavior, with no leniency or settlements offered under any circumstances.
Your interest and reports are of great help in our legal response.
If you encounter any malicious posts or illegal acts involving BOYNEXTDOOR, please report them through the “HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Website (https://protect.hybecorp.com).”We are always grateful for your love and support for BOYNEXTDOOR.
We will continue striving to safeguard the rights of our artists.Thank you.
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