Court sides with IVE's Jang Won-young in YouTuber lawsuit

A court ruled in favor of IVE's Jang Won-young in her lawsuit against a YouTube channel accused of spreading false rumors about her. The channel's operator was ordered to pay 100 million won in damages.

Jang Won-young of girl group IVE [NEWS1]

A court sided with IVE’s Jang Won-young in her damage suit against YouTube channel Sojang, known for spreading unsubstantiated rumors about Korean celebrities.

Sojang, operated by an anonymous person surnamed Park, has spread multiple false rumors regarding Jang, including claims that she'd been sued by another girl group member and that she'd had a love affair with a male celebrity.

Jang and her agency, Starship Entertainment, separately filed civil suits against the channel’s operator, Park, last October.

The accused did not respond to the case, and the court subsequently ordered the YouTuber to compensate Jang 100 million won ($ 74,430) in damages.

The court has not yet released the result of the agency's suit, as the hearing is set to take place later this month, Starship Entertainment said in a news release.

Jang’s agency, Starship Entertainment, has been taking legal measures against Park, filing both criminal charges and civil suits, since November 2022. Suits have been filed not only in Korea, but also abroad, according to the agency.

“Sojang had been constantly spreading false information, causing the severe defamation of Starship’s artists, which has interfered with the company’s business and given major pain to both the artists and their fans,” the agency said.

“The criminal charges against the channel have been recently transferred to the prosecutors’ office from the police,” the agency added.

Starship Entertainment stated that it is “running a monitoring system to protect the personal rights and privacy of its artists and will proceed with any legal measures with zero-tolerance against those acts defaming or damaging the company’s artists.”

To find out more about IVE, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]