Recently, a recorded conversation between Gaseyeon (Garo Sero Research Institute) representative Kim Sae-yi and YouTuber Gu Jaeyeok was released, causing an uproar. In the recording, Gu Jaeyeok falsely claimed that former After School member Nana was seen engaging in intimate behavior with a man, and that her friends encouraged drug use.
Gu Jaeyeok is already facing charges for blackmailing Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang by exploiting her past and extorting tens of millions of won. He is set to face his first trial on September 6th. Given his history, few believe his lies, but the severe damage to the reputations of those involved has caused concern among fans.
In response, Nana declared on her personal account on the 24th that she had filed a lawsuit and would take strict action without leniency. She stated, “If you chose me as a target for sensational issues, you’ve made a very wrong choice. I’ll show you that directly. Gu Jaeyeok? Who are you to know me? You’ve picked the wrong person.”
Other celebrities have also been victims of fake news and have taken proactive measures.
Ko Junhee shared her pain of having to suspend her activities for five years after being falsely labeled as the “Burning Sun female celebrity.” She was misunderstood as being involved in sexual services because of a photo taken with Seungri, a former member of BIGBANG and the main figure in the Burning Sun scandal. This misunderstanding led to her being forced out of a drama she was filming. Ko Junhee took legal action against the malicious commenters and boldly criticized Seungri, which garnered public support.
IVE’s Jang Wonyoung and her agency Starship Entertainment took legal action against the cyber attacker Delusional Asylum for spreading fake rumors about her relationships and conflicts. NewJeans and their agency ADOR filed lawsuits against the group Seventh Grader, and LE SSERAFIM and their agency Source Music took legal action against the YouTuber Short Boss.
Recently, Ko Sooyoung appeared on the YouTube channel “Oh Eun Young’s Bucket List,” where she discussed how she took a false rumor about giving birth while unmarried all the way to the Supreme Court to clear her name.
Despite these efforts, malicious rumors targeting female celebrities continue to persist.
According to Article 70 of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, anyone who damages another person’s reputation by publicly revealing “true facts” with the intent to slander through the information and communications network can be sentenced to up to three years in prison or fined up to 30 million won. Cyber defamation using “false facts” can result in up to seven years in prison, a suspension of qualifications for up to ten years, or a fine of up to 50 million won.
Source: Naver
