The group ATEEZ has drawn its sword against malicious commenters.
KQ Entertainment, ATEEZ's agency, said on Dec. 30, "We have continuously informed that we will take a hard-line stance against the spread of false information, malicious slander, defamation and sexual harassment that infringe on the rights and interests of our artists, and based on fans' reports and our own monitoring, we are taking legal action."
The agency said, "We have already initiated complaint procedures regarding posts confirmed through domestic and international online communities and SNS, and some cases have entered the investigative stage," and added, "We will also proceed with legal procedures sequentially as evidence is secured for additional matters that are confirmed."
It went on, "We will respond strictly to this matter using all available legal means without any leniency or settlements. We will also respond sternly to acts that attempt to destroy evidence or evade responsibility, such as post deletions or account changes."
The agency also urged, "Speculating about unverified information or spreading it through sharing, quoting, reposting or other means can also be subject to legal liability," and asked fans to be especially careful because "this can cause secondary harm to the artists and fans."
Finally, it said, "Please understand that, due to the nature of legal procedures, it is difficult to provide updates on all progress in real time, and when additional guidance is possible we will share the progress through a separate notice," and added, "We will continue to prioritize protecting our artists and pursue strong responses, including legal action, along with ongoing monitoring."
Meanwhile, ATEEZ will appear on Dec. 31 at the 2025 MBC Gayo Daejejeon.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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