Fake news, false rumors and malicious comments are now primary concerns for every K-Pop idol. Agencies have been taking a strong action to put an end to those who have been spreading false rumors that could damage an idol or a group's reputation. Now, it's Gugudan's turn to precede legal actions in order to defeat internet meanies.
Jellyfish Entertainment, Gugudan's agency, has issued an official statement on the group's fan café in response to malicious comments and false reports about Gugudan. Soompi reported that on March 21 Jellyfish Entertainment has received tremendous amounts of reports from fans regarding rumors and hate comments that have been circling online. Once the agency finished analyzing the reports, they'll prepare the next step to file complaints on court level.
The spreading of malicious comments about the rookie girl group more likely started when fans expressed their disapproval regarding Kim Se Jung's debut with Gugudan, which they thought is a flopped K-Pop girl group. Many Kim Se Jung's fans thought that the former I.O.I idol would be better to go solo or at least be the center of Gugudan, especially when they compared the group's success to Kim Se Jung's solo success. Not only that, Se Jung's fans were pretty upset about the way the agency treated their bias. Fans believe that if the agency made Se Jung as the icon of the group, Gugudan would have had a better outcome with their debut.
Gugudan is not the first K-Pop idol to take a strong stance against haters. Former I.O.I member, Kim Sohye, recently made a move to charge 11 people who were suspected of spreading false news and malicious comments. Kim Sohye's agency, S&P Entertainment, has been actively investigating comment streams in the internet forum to track the suspects. The agency reportedly has forwarded the case to the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office.
