Starship Entertainment updated the K-pop community regarding Wonyoung's civil lawsuit case against YouTuber Sojang.
Read more to learn further details.
IVE Jang Wonyoung Secures Legal Win Against Sojang, Starship Entertainment Releases Official Statement
On January 17, Starship Entertainment released an official statement addressing Jang Wonyoung's civil lawsuit against controversial YouTuber Sojang.
According to the statement, the agency reflected on the earlier proceedings made against Sojang, who is infamous for producing controversial claims and baseless accusations regarding artists and celebrities.
Starship clarified that there are two lawsuits filed against the YouTuber, with one from the agency and the other from Wonyoung, whose case has been won through a confession.
Read the full statement below:
"Hello. This is Starship Entertainment.
We would like to inform you regarding the current progress on the legal proceedings against the rights infringement of artists under Starship Entertainment.
Since November 2022, the agency has been conducting civil, criminal, and overseas lawsuits against "Sojang," who has been continuously harassing our artists.
'Sojang' has also committed serious defamation by spreading false news, which has not only hindered our business but also caused serious pain to our artists and fans. Therefore, we are doing our best to pursue civil and criminal liability through this ongoing litigation.
Regarding the criminal charges filed against 'Sojang,' these were forwarded from the police to the prosecutor's office, which awaits a strict judicial judgement. However, a final judgement has yet to be concluded, as this is an ongoing case.
Separately, there are two civil lawsuits filed against 'Sojang.' For the lawsuit filed by the agency, this civil matter is scheduled to be pleaded with in January, and the lawsuit that Jang Wonyoung filed herself was not responded to by the other party, which was won through confession.
Starship operates a constant monitoring system to protect its artists' honor, privacy, and human rights. The agency will continue to take all possible legal action against defamation and additional damages made towards our artists.
We ask for the continued reporting of fans, as these were a great help in responding to the legal procedures.
Thank you."
According to sources, the 210th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court, which presides Judge Park Jiwon, ruled in favor of the plaintiffs of 100 million KRW ($74.5K USD) for damages filed against Sojang (Park Joo Ah) by Starship and Wonyoung.
Wonyoung had filed the lawsuit in October 2023, and as her lawyer stated, the content uploaded in Sojang's channel contained false information and insults. "This is clearly a civil illegal act since it involves defamation and insults in the criminal sense," the layer shared.
Sojang, referred to as Ms. Park, countered that she "didn't know that it was false," and declared her "right to know about celebrities."
Wonyoung's lawyer disclosed that the videos were made to pursue attention among the public. The lawyer disclosed, "The artist and her agency feel unbearable anger at the fact that the video was posted for public interest, so this was illegally made."
It also shared that Wonyoung had claimed the videos were solely based on groundless hearsays, and that other celebrities were also affected psychologically, which hampered their activities in the entertainment industry.
"Ms. Park seeks to make money through the production and editing of the video, so the degree of illegality is much bigger," the lawyer added.
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Read also: Starship Praised After Finding Person Behind 'Sojang,' Owner of Notorious 'Taldeok Camp' Channel
