SM Entertainment (hereafter SM) won a lawsuit against the operator of the YouTube channel "Taldeok Prison Camp," who produced and posted videos containing falsehoods for the purpose of slandering the groups aespa, EXO and Red Velvet.
The 14th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court ruled on the 22nd that the Taldeok Prison Camp channel operator violated personal rights by producing and posting videos containing personal attacks against aespa, EXO and Red Velvet, and ordered damages totaling 130 million won to each plaintiff.
Regarding SM as well, the court said, "The videos the defendant produced and posted directly influenced public perception of the plaintiff singers, leading to declines in their image and brand value, and because the image and external reputation of the plaintiff singers constitute a core asset of the plaintiff company, the defendant's conduct appears to have caused substantial interference with the plaintiff company's business promotion and operations," and ordered 40 million won in damages. As a result, a total of 170 million won in damages was awarded.ㄴ
Earlier, in Apr. 2024, SM filed a criminal complaint against "Taldeok Prison Camp" on charges including defamation and insult under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection for content targeting aespa, EXO and Red Velvet, and the channel operator was sentenced at the Incheon District Court on Jan. 15, 2025, to two years in prison, suspended for three years, 120 hours of community service and forfeiture of about 211.42 million won..
After appeals and a final appeal, the original ruling was confirmed. The court said, "The defendant, through the 'Taldeok Prison Camp' channel, spread falsehoods about the plaintiff singers and produced and posted videos containing personal attacks or contemptuous expressions, thereby openly insulting the plaintiff singers; this significantly departs from the bounds of mere opinion and constitutes a serious infringement of the plaintiff singers' honor and personal rights."