A person surnamed A, the operator of the YouTube channel "Cyber Wrecker" that spread fake news targeting celebrities including IVE's Jang Won-young, lost a civil lawsuit against Starship Entertainment, and it has come to light that A has appealed the ruling.
According to a report by a media outlet on the 19th, A submitted an appeal on the 4th, disputing the ruling by the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 50, which mandated A to pay 50 million won in damages to Starship.
The court previously stated that the videos posted by A on YouTube regarding Jang Won-young were not objective facts but rather a patchwork of subjective edits and unverified accusations, ruling that they "damaged Starship's honor and credit, and interfered with the artist's activities and the company's operations."
Starship has pursued both civil and criminal lawsuits against A, who disseminated malicious rumors since November 2022, while also utilizing the discovery process in U.S. courts to verify A's identity. This resulted in identifying A as the first anonymous cyber wrecker YouTuber to be brought to court in Korea.
At the time, Starship emphasized that "this is a significant precedent that holds anonymous YouTubers legally accountable in Korea," and stated that it would continue to take legal action to protect the rights of its artists.
However, A submitted an appeal against the first instance verdict and reportedly also requested a stay of execution from the court to prevent enforced payment, indicating an intention to withhold payment by posting a deposit of 100 million won.
A has a history of disseminating fake news targeting not only Jang Won-young but also BTS members V and Jungkook, as well as Kang Daniel, resulting in damages and criminal penalties. In a personally filed lawsuit against Jang Won-young, a ruling was made for A to compensate 50 million won, while in the case involving Kang Daniel, A received a ruling for 30 million won in damages and a fine, and in the case related to BTS, a total damages ruling of 76 million won.
Prosecutors confirmed that A earned approximately 250 million won in revenue from YouTube, part of which was used to purchase real estate. Currently, A has been sentenced to two years in prison with a three-year probation for defamation and insult, and an appeal is ongoing.
Meanwhile, Starship stated immediately after the first instance ruling that "this ruling holds Cyber Wrecker liable for all possible civil and criminal responsibilities," and added that it would continue to monitor and take stringent legal action against any illegal acts that defame its artists or invade their privacy.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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