On May 21, Mr. Kim, a former entertainment agency CEO, and 11 others were indicted by the 6th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
The charges against them consist of interference with business by computer. This declaration comes after a comprehensive investigation into purported activities of manipulating music charts.
The prosecutor’s office revealed that from December 2018 to December 2019, Mr. Kim and his accomplices utilized an intricate plot to manipulate the rankings on music charts.
Using a combination of 500 virtual computers, numerous purchased IP addresses, and illegally obtained personal data from 1,627 people, they manipulated the streaming numbers of 15 songs on popular music platforms within the country. This resulted in a total of 1,727,985 fraudulent streams for these songs.
The organization was run by recruiting customers through intermediaries, also known as brokers. These brokers aided in the manipulation by spreading IPs across various virtual computers and using numerous accounts to access music platforms.
This approach successfully circumvented the abuse response systems on these platforms, which are specifically created to identify and hinder instances of multiple account abuse.
An emphasis was placed on the importance of this investigation by a prosecution official, who stated:
“Through this investigation, we have concretely confirmed that the longstanding suspicions of systematic music chart manipulation in the music market were indeed true.”
This discovery illuminates the magnitude of deceptive methods that could have impacted music rankings and the way the industry was perceived.
As a result of these findings, the accused parties are facing legal action. This case highlights the continuous efforts to maintain fairness and honesty in the music industry, demonstrating a strong stance against unlawful activities that disrupt the market.
The trial is anticipated to reveal more details about the complexities of music chart manipulation and its wider impact on artists, consumers, and stakeholders in the entertainment industry.
The individuals accused of being involved in this deceptive scheme will be subject to legal repercussions, representing a significant step in the ongoing fight against fraudulent activities in the music industry.
At the 2022 Genie Music Awards, NCT Dream’s surprise victories for Top Artist and Top Album have caused controversy as some accuse SM Entertainment of manipulation.
Despite fans’ expectations for Lim Young Woong to win, they raised concerns about NCT Dream’s “Glitch Mode”not being a chart-topper, leading to suspicions. These accusations are reminiscent of previous controversies surrounding SM artists, including Taeyeon’s win at the 2020 Seoul Music Awards and NCT 127’s daesang for “Sticker”in 2021. While critics claim these victories go against logic, NCT Dream’s supporters stand by the group’s accomplishments and dedication.
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