Korean stars warn of fake SNS accounts
High-profile Korean stars, including household names Son Suk-ku and Ha Jung-woo, are speaking out against a surge of fake social media accounts impersonating them.
On Thursday, Son (“The Roundup,” “D.P.”) took to Instagram to share a screenshot of a fraudulent account posing as the actor.
According to Son's post, the impostor account, operating under the handle sonsukku_01, had amassed 64,000 followers and displayed a blue verification badge, which signals that an account has been authenticated as the official presence of a public figure, brand or business. The account further blurred lines by posting behind-the-scenes images from Son’s projects and updates about his activities.
Son’s actual account, sonsukku, currently does not carry a verification badge.
“I would appreciate it if you could remove the blue badge and clarify the purpose of the account,” Son continued in his post. “I already sent a direct message notice through my agency, but since I was blocked, I am left with no choice but to make this public request.” He added, “If there is anyone running an impersonation account without my knowledge, I kindly ask you to stop.”
By Friday, the sonsukku_01 account had been taken down.
Ha (“Along With the Gods,” “Assassination”) posted a similar warning on Instagram Monday: “I heard there are many accounts impersonating me. Please be warned. This is the only account that I’m directly operating. If you discover someone who is impersonating me please capture the account and send it to me or direct message me. Or send it to my company’s Instagram @walkhousecompany.”
Ha's official Instagram currrently operates under the handle __hajungwoo.
Earlier this month, on Sept. 1, actor Lee Seung-yeon (“The Secret House,” “Left-handed Wife”) also revealed she had once again been targeted by a fake profile. In February, Lee had already disclosed that an impersonator was recruiting people into a group chat under her name. “If you get an invitation DM (from that account), please report the account,” she urged.
Fake social media accounts impersonating celebrities have long been a problem in the Korean entertainment industry, with acclaimed Korean actors including So Ji-sub and Jin Sun-kyu also reporting this year that impostor profiles had been masquerading as them.
Imposter accounts often share behind-the-scenes photos of celebrities and engage with fans while pretending to be them. Some even go further, soliciting money or involving fans in scams under the guise of the celebrity.
The persistence of these fake accounts is partly due to limitations in Korean law, which makes enforcement and punishment challenging.
Under existing regulations, social media impersonation can fall under anti-stalking or defamation statutes, carrying penalties of up to three years in prison or fines up to 30 million won. However, prosecutors face hurdles, with mere impersonation being rarely enough for legal action. Punishment is generally only possible if secondary harm occurs, such as malicious defamation, financial losses, or the dissemination of false information.
Amid the growing influence of social media, in July 2020, Han Byung-do of the Democratic Party proposed an amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection that would make impersonation punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won.
However, there has also been backlash that punishing impersonation itself could constitute an excessive expansion of criminal authority. In July 2021, the Korea Communications Commission commented on the proposed amendment, stating that punishing impersonation regardless of whether it causes harm to reputation or property could be seen as an excessive expansion of criminal authority.
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