IVE's Jang Won-young wins 100M KRW lawsuit against YouTuber Sojang
What's the story
K-pop group IVE's Jang Won-young has emerged victorious in a lawsuit against YouTuber Sojang, her agency Starship Entertainment confirmed on Wednesday. The Seoul Central District Court ruled in her favor last month, ordering the YouTuber to pay 100M won for spreading false information and insults. Jang initiated the lawsuit in October 2023, accusing Sojang of consistently posting false facts and insults on his YouTube channel.
Details
Here's what the controversial YouTuber did!
Sojang gained notoriety for his controversial celebrity-related content on his now-deleted YouTube channel, Taldeok Camp. In September 2022, the channel posted a video targeting Jang, alleging that she had forced a rumored seventh member of IVE out of the group before their debut. The channel had previously shared videos with unverified allegations against the singer. Soon after, Starship Entertainment announced plans to take robust legal action against the spread of malicious information.
Distress
Jang asserted that these videos caused her psychological distress
Jang contends that the video, based on rumors, not only caused her psychological distress but also hindered the entertainment activities of other celebrities who fell victim to similar false information. Her lawyer emphasized, "Sojang seeks to generate profit through video production and editing, and the degree of illegality is much more serious." Despite Sojang deleting his YouTube account and issuing an apology, Starship persisted with the lawsuit.
Statement
'Artist Jang's lawsuit was won through deemed confession': Official statement
In its official statement, Starship Entertainment opened up about the legal proceedings, stating, "Criminal charges against Sojang are now with the prosecution, awaiting a stern judgment." "The ongoing civil lawsuits are progressing, with the agency's case scheduled for January. Artist Jang's lawsuit was won through deemed confession as the other party did not respond. The agency plans to issue a comprehensive statement after all legal judgments are finalized," it further said.
Defense
Sojang maintained a defense throughout the case
Sojang defended himself by claiming ignorance of the falsehoods and asserting the "right to know about celebrities." Jang's lawyer expressed the artist and agency's deep frustration, stating, "The artist and the agency feel unbearable anger at the fact that they even claimed that the video was illegal because it was uploaded for public purposes." Aside from the ongoing matter, two civil lawsuits have also been filed against Sojang.