The sentences fall, the wrongdoers are punished, and others are wanted.
JYP Entertainment, the agency to which groups like TWICE and STRAY KIDS belong, emphasized its principle of zero tolerance regarding malicious posts and criminal harassment (stalking) targeting its artists.
The agency JYP ENTERTAINMENT shared a status update on legal measures for the protection of the rights and interests of its artists on the afternoon of May 20. JYP stated:
“Our company conducts constant monitoring as well as a severe legal countermeasure against various illegal activities targeting our artists. Regarding acts of creating and spreading malicious content, we pursue strong legal measures such as criminal complaints and civil remedies, without any agreement or leniency”.
JYP Entertainment initiated prosecutions and complaints against those who wrote, created, and spread malicious content regarding its artists. These individuals were questioned by investigative authorities or are currently under investigation. For some of them, guilt was established for violation of the act on information and communications network utilization or violation of the act on special cases concerning the punishment, etc. of sexual crimes, leading to a sentence of a fine, as well as an obligation to complete a sexual violence treatment program and an employment restriction in institutions related to children and adolescents.
Legal measures are also being taken against malicious content published on foreign online platforms or against authors residing abroad. JYP ENTERTAINMENT revealed:
“We track the identity of malicious content creators through investigation requests for evidence with courts and evidence disclosure procedures with foreign courts, and we initiate liability for damages against those whose identity has been specified, whether in Korea or abroad”.
JYP ENTERTAINMENT indicated: “The American court, within the framework of the evidence disclosure procedure requested by JYP Entertainment, dismissed the objection raised by the opposing party on the basis of “freedom of expression” and ultimately issued an information provision order”, adding: “We clearly specify that the method consisting of using foreign platforms as a means of circumvention to infringe on the personality rights of artists, or using freedom of expression as a shield to justify illegal acts, is no longer tolerated on the legal level”.
It also reacts with firmness face to acts of criminal harassment. JYP ENTERTAINMENT made it known: “The court’s decision regarding provisional measures for an approaching prohibition targeting the perpetrators has already been accepted, and we requested a rigorous investigation, through complaints and denunciations, on the suspicions of additional crimes that occurred during the criminal harassment process. In parallel, we also conduct requests for damages in civil court against the perpetrators”. With respect to criminal harassment perpetrators residing abroad, legal countermeasures such as requests for damages are also underway by using the evidence disclosure system of foreign courts.
Finally, JYP ENTERTAINMENT emphasized:
“We respond according to the zero tolerance principle, without exception, to illegal acts such as writing, creating, spreading malicious content and criminal harassment that exploit anonymity. The documents for which the collection of evidence is already completed have all been submitted as elements of evidence to domestic and international investigative authorities and courts, regardless of the deletion of posts, the switching of accounts to private mode, the changing of handles or the unregistration of members. Our company will continue to conduct a severe legal countermeasure according to the zero tolerance principle, under all circumstances, against acts that infringe on the rights and interests of our artists”.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: JYP Statement
