SM Entertainment, the agency of the group Super Junior, said it will take a tough stance against malicious commenters who left abusive comments directed at member Choi Si-won.
Last month SM Entertainment informed the online reporting center 'Gwangya119', "We provide an update on legal actions to protect the rights and interests of our artist Choi Si-won," saying, "Our company has recently confirmed that there have been continuous·repeated malicious posts writing·posting personal attacks, insults and other malicious content about our artist, and we recognize the seriousness of this."
SM Entertainment said, "Based on materials collected through our own monitoring, we closely reviewed the content of posts and attached images, and for confirmed criminal acts we have filed a complaint with investigative authorities together with the law firm Sejong (Limited)."
It added, "We are continuously securing evidence of acts that create·distribute false information related to our artists on online communities and SNS platforms and of posting mocking·derogatory writings, and after reviewing these posts we plan to gradually expand the scope of legal complaints."
It also urged, "To protect our artists' rights and interests and to strictly punish illegal acts like the above that cause great mental harm to artists, we again make clear that we will respond firmly with civil·criminal legal measures with no leniency or settlements. Because collection, reporting and legal responses to such malicious posts are still ongoing, please be careful not to become involved in any untoward incidents."
Earlier, Choi Si-won posted the phrase 'bul-ui-pil-mang, to-bung-wah-hae' on his social media on the 19th. 'Bul-ui-pil-mang' means that those who are unjust will surely perish, and 'to-bung-wah-hae' describes a situation in which an organization, state, or relationship is completely collapsing. The post was made on the day former president Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment, prompting various interpretations.
Below is the full statement.
Hello, this is SM Entertainment.
We provide an update on legal actions to protect the rights and interests of our artist Choi Si-won.
Our company has recently confirmed that there have been continuous·repeated malicious posts writing·posting personal attacks, insults and other malicious content about our artist, and we recognize the seriousness of this.
Based on materials collected through our own monitoring, we closely reviewed the content of posts and attached images, and for confirmed criminal acts we have filed a complaint with investigative authorities together with the law firm Sejong (Limited).
We are continuously securing evidence of acts that create·distribute false information related to our artists on online communities and SNS platforms and of posting mocking·derogatory writings, and after reviewing these posts we plan to gradually expand the scope of legal complaints.
To protect our artists' rights and interests and to strictly punish illegal acts like the above that cause great mental harm to artists, we again make clear that we will respond firmly with civil·criminal legal measures with no leniency or settlements. Because collection, reporting and legal responses to such malicious posts are still ongoing, please be careful not to become involved in any untoward incidents.
We will continue to prioritize protecting our artists' rights and interests and will do our best in every way.
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]