SM Entertainment has shared an update regarding impersonators stealing private information from EXO and NCT members.
On July 11, SM Entertainment released the following statement via KWANGYA 119, through which fans can use to report issues related to SM artists with regards to defamation, copyright infringement, and more.
Hello, this is SM Entertainment.
We would like to inform you about the results of the lawsuit regarding the personal information theft of one EXO member and three NCT members, who are artists under our company.
Regarding the incident in April 2023 where individuals impersonated delivery drivers during a live broadcast on X (Twitter) and stole the personal information of the artists, we collected substantial evidence through fan reports and our own monitoring. We appointed SHIN&KIM Law Firm (LLC) as our legal representative and filed a complaint for violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.
In this incident, the accused impersonated delivery drivers during a live broadcast with many viewers, stole the artists’ addresses, and broadcasted this information, thereby committing a crime by exposing the artists’ personal information to the public. At that time, the police identified four individuals involved in the live broadcast as suspects and forwarded two of them to the prosecution with recommendations for indictment for directly calling the artists.
In the trial that proceeded recently, the defendants admitted to all the charges, claiming they committed the crime out of fan love for the artists and pleaded for leniency. However, we inform you that the two defendants were each sentenced to a fine of 3 million won (approximately $2,200). We deeply appreciate the significant interest and valuable reports from fans that enabled us to take legal action against such illegal activities targeting our artists.
Even now, acts of unauthorizedly obtaining and calling the artists’ phone numbers or visiting their homes have been ongoing for a long time. Although the artists have endured these intrusions because they are celebrities, they have reached a level that is difficult for an individual to handle, and they are suffering severe psychological distress. We reiterate that such acts are not expressions of interest in the artists but serious crimes that instill fear and cause psychological harm to them.
Additionally, to protect our artists, we are continuously monitoring and taking legal action against such acts and any infringements on the artists’ rights and reputations, adhering to a principle of zero tolerance. We are awaiting the results of several ongoing lawsuits. We urge you to immediately cease any acts that invade the artists’ privacy and be careful not to get involved in any unfortunate incidents.
Thank you.