Singer-actress IU’s agency emphasized that they would continue taking firm legal responses against people who spread false information.
On August 7th, IU’s agency EDAM Entertainment announced the progress of the criminal complaint filed by IU’s legal representative against people who spread malicious rumors and defamation about IU.
Regarding the leaflet claiming IU was a North Korean spy, the agency said, “We filed a complaint to the Seoul Songpa Police Station in May against those who spread false information, including labeling IU as a spy, for defamation”, adding “As of today, nearly three months after the complaint was filed and the case was registered, the suspects are still refusing to cooperate with the investigation, causing difficulties for the investigators. Accordingly, IU’s legal representatives are urging a quick investigation by submitting additional evidence.”
They continued, “Regarding the leaflet attached on a specific building in Ulsan by what appears to be the same individual who has spread online rumors on the 2nd, we have confirmed that neither the police nor third parties can remove them arbitrarily. Therefore, we are also trying to seek legal measures to fundamentally prevent such actions.”
Regarding the plagiarism accusation, the agency explained, “Upon hearing that a complaint was filed at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul through media reports on May 10th, we applied for the disclosure of complaint information on the same day”, adding “Two days later, on the 12th, we obtained a copy of the complaint and had begun examining its purpose and content.
They added, “On May 15th, we submitted an attorney’s opinion and strongly insisted that the case lacks legal grounds and demanded a prompt conclusion. On the 20th and 28th of last month, we submitted an additional attorney’s opinion, providing further evidence that the accusation was not legally based. We are currently awaiting action from the investigative authorities.”
Apart from the defamation case, individuals who have continuously spread plagiarism rumors have also been sued by IU’s agency. EDAM explained, “Since February, we have consistently observed posts containing plagiarism rumors and damaging the artist’s reputation. As a result, we identified potential targets for legal action and finalized our selection of 58 individuals who spread false information for prosecution on charges of defamation in March based on over 1700 pieces of evidence.”
The agency also expressed a firm stance against malicious comments. They stated, “On March 3rd, we submitted criminal complaints against 61 individuals to the Seoul Bangbae Police Station for posting insulting comments as well as creating and distributing inappropriate materials targeting IU online. An examination into complainant’s supplementary statements has been taken, and warrants are being considered to secure the personal information of the accused.”
In addition, they said, “On March 6th, we continued to file criminal complaints against 60 individuals at the Seoul Bangbae Police Station for violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act. On July 7th, we also sued 21 individuals at the Seoul Songpa Police Station for posting insulting content against IU”, emphasizing their efforts to fight malicious commenters.
EDAM continued, “Since the accused individuals in the complaints are scattered domestically and internationally, it may take some time to reach the final disposition. However, even if it takes time, we will continuously track them down to hold them legally responsible and prevent recurrences”, adding “In order to protect IU’s rights, we are preparing to file additional complaints and will continue to take legal responses against indiscriminate personal attacks.”
Earlier, IU was reported to the Seoul Gangnam Police Station for allegedly plagiarizing the music of overseas and domestic artists with 6 songs, including “The Red Shoes”, “Good Day”, “BBIBBI”, “Pitiful”, “Boo”, and “Celebrity”.
