IVE's Jang Won-young's Legal Battle Against Malicious YouTuber Reaches Supreme Court

The legal battle initiated by Jang Won-young of girl group IVE against a YouTuber accused of spreading false videos and malicious defamation has reached the Supreme Court.

According to legal sources on the 15th, the lawyer for the operator of the YouTube channel 'Sujin Kang' (identified as Park, 36, female) submitted a final appeal to the Incheon District Court on the 14th, marking the final stage of the legal fight for the recovery of victims' honor.

Park operated the 'Sujin Kang' channel from October 2021 to June 2023, posting 23 videos slandering seven celebrities, including Jang Won-young. Specifically, regarding Jang Won-young, the channel disseminated baseless claims such as "she sabotaged a fellow trainee's debut out of jealousy."

Furthermore, the channel fabricated absurd rumors, such as Jang Won-young driving out a member based solely on the presence of numbers in IVE's debut song lyrics. It also spread various falsehoods, including claims that Jang Won-young couldn't enter Korea due to visa issues because she is Chinese, and that she had undergone plastic surgery.

Through these malicious videos, Park allegedly earned approximately 250 million KRW (around $190,000 USD) in profits. In the criminal trial, Park was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for three years, a forfeiture of 210 million KRW, and 120 hours of community service in both the first and second trials. The court also confiscated the iPad and Lenovo laptop used for the crimes.

Jang Won-young also won the civil lawsuit. While initially awarded 100 million KRW in the first trial, this was adjusted to 50 million KRW in the second trial. Despite the rulings, Park filed for a stay of execution after the first trial's verdict and appealed. After losing the second trial, she filed a further appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that the sentence and forfeiture were excessive and unjust, showing no signs of remorse.

The legal response from Jang Won-young and her agency, Starship Entertainment, was not straightforward. Identifying the anonymous operator of 'Sujin Kang' presented a significant hurdle. Jang Won-young's side had to file information disclosure requests with the California District Court in the United States three times to obtain the operator's personal information from Google, setting a new precedent for legal action against cybercriminals operating anonymously.

Starship Entertainment has repeatedly urged for severe punishment, stating, "We ask for the exemplary punishment of 'Sujin Kang,' who shows no remorse." This case is seen as a turning point, signaling the acceleration of legal penalties against "cyber ​​wreckers" YouTubers who generate views and profits through fabricated information.

Jang Won-young's proactive legal stance has encouraged other celebrities to stand firm against malicious defamation, and the method of identifying anonymous perpetrators through information disclosure requests is expected to serve as a crucial reference case for similar incidents in the future. The Supreme Court's final decision is anticipated in several months.

Korean netizens are expressing strong support for Jang Won-young's legal actions, with comments like "It's good that Jang Won-young is persistently pursuing this," "I hope malicious commenters receive proper legal punishment," and "Cyber wreckers need to wake up now."