Comedian Lee Su-ji, who even issued a handwritten apology after controversy that she mocked calls for a "by-election," said she will take legal action without leniency against malicious posts and the spread of false information.
On the 8th, Lee Su-ji's agency, CP Entertainment, said, "We have confirmed that malicious slander, insults, personal attacks, the spread of false information, and defamation aimed at Lee Su-ji are continuously being posted and spread on online communities and social media (SNS)," adding, "As this is a serious matter that infringes on the artist's honor and rights, we are thoroughly responding while closely checking all related matters."
It added, "For acts of writing, distributing, or spreading malicious posts or comments, we plan to pursue all necessary legal actions, including civil and criminal measures, together with our legal representatives," emphasizing, "To protect the artist, we will respond strictly under a zero-tolerance principle with no leniency or settlements."
Earlier, on July 14, a satirical video titled "Civil servant Kim Ji-young's job-for-life protection" was uploaded to the YouTube channel "Hot Issue Ji," run by Lee Su-ji. The video satirized the realities faced by civil servants, including malicious complaints, excessive workloads, and low pay.
What sparked controversy was one scene in the video. When a complainant shouted "By-election!" Lee Su-ji was shown stopping the person, saying, "You can't do that here."
Some argued this portrayed citizens calling for a by-election as malicious complainants. As the controversy grew, the production team deleted the scene.
The production team said, "We sincerely apologize to everyone who felt discomfort and disappointment due to the video," explaining, "The scene many pointed out was not used with the intention of conveying a specific issue or political stance."
Lee Su-ji also apologized through a handwritten statement on the 1st of last month, saying, "I deeply bow my head and apologize to everyone who felt discomfort and disappointment," and adding, "It is undeniably my fault and responsibility that I failed to respond quickly and apologize to those who were hurt."
She continued, "Separate from the intention to create laughter, I take seriously that, in the end, someone was hurt and felt discomfort," and said, "I did not fully consider that my acting and content could come across as hurtful or unpleasant to someone."
Even after the apology was released, malicious comments and slander toward Lee Su-ji continued, prompting what appears to be a strong response from the agency.