K-pop Artists Release New Albums and Comeback News

Artists including Yoo Eun-sung, Lee Seung-yoon, Jung Il-hoon, On and Off, Eunice, Dreamcatcher unit YooA-Yu, and Secret are continuing their music activities with new album releases and comebacks. Notably, legal responses surrounding IVE's Wonyoung under Starship Entertainment have drawn attention. On the 18th, Starship announced via official SNS that they are continuously monitoring and taking legal action against malicious posts created and distributed targeting Wonyoung. After confirming the progress with investigative agencies, they stated that investigations are underway to identify suspects and secure evidence for their ongoing criminal complaint. They explained that international cooperation procedures are being pushed for overseas platforms as well, and they are continuously collecting evidence of posts and actions infringing on the artist's rights through fan reports and internal monitoring. For confirmed illegal acts such as insult, defamation, spreading false facts, sexual harassment and insult, and invasion of privacy, they are proceeding with strong legal responses including criminal and civil measures. Starship emphasized that they are constantly monitoring and taking legal action against rights infringement acts not only for Wonyoung but also for other affiliated artists like IVE, Monsta X, and Kiki. They showed strong determination to hold legal responsibility to the end even if posts are deleted or accounts are deactivated. Meanwhile, Starship Entertainment has been continuously pursuing legal responses against authors of malicious posts to protect affiliated artists. In particular, they successfully identified the operator of the YouTube 'Cyber Lekka' channel 'De-fandom Reception Center' by applying for an information disclosure order at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The case ended with a sentence of 2 years in prison with 3 years probation and a fine of approximately 200 million won after about 2 years of criminal trial. These legal measures are being evaluated as important steps to protect the honor and rights of artists, conveying the need for continued interest and reports from fans and the public.