NEWJEANS
It was revealed that a member of the TEAM BUNNIES fandom, related to the group NEWJEANS, has been referred to the prosecution on suspicion of violating the Donation Collection Act.
According to a report from Chosun Biz published on October 28, the Northern Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office recently decided to transfer the case of “A,” a minor member of TEAM BUNNIES, to the Seoul Family Court, determining that there were sufficient indications of a violation of the Donation Collection Act.
Taking into account “A”’s age and the relative severity of the actions, the prosecution chose to open a protective procedure rather than pursue criminal charges. The collected funds have been frozen, and depending on the outcome of the investigation, the unused money may be returned to the donors.
TEAM BUNNIES is a sub-fandom within the official BUNNIES fandom of NEWJEANS. Last October, member “A” launched a fundraising campaign in the name of defending NEWJEANS against malicious comments, raising about 50 million KRW (approximately 31,000 euros) in just eight hours.
However, “A” failed to follow the mandatory pre-registration procedure required under the Donation Collection Act. In response, another fan filed a complaint against “A” and the administrators of TEAM BUNNIES.
TEAM BUNNIES presents itself as “a collective of professionals from various fields (legal, media, financial, cultural, etc.) supporting NEWJEANS.” Last year, they publicly expressed support for Min Heejin, the former director, during her dispute with HYBE, and defended the members of NEWJEANS throughout the conflict between ADOR and HYBE.
They have issued several public statements, submitted petitions to the court handling the case, and filed complaints against certain media outlets, showing particularly active involvement.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: Media Chosun Biz
