On June 12th, Star News reported that the Seoul Central District Court has set September 4th as the date for the initial appeal hearing in the damages lawsuit brought by Jang Wonyoung against A, a woman in her 30s who operates the YouTube channel “Sojang”.
Ever since November 2022, Jang Wonyoung and Starship Entertainment have been engaged in civil and criminal litigation against “Sojang”, including legal proceedings in other countries.
A has been accused of continuously uploading defamatory videos on her channel, targeting Jang Wonyoung and other celebrities, between October 2021 and June 2023. It is alleged that she fabricated and disseminated rumors, including one claiming that Jang Wonyoung’s jealousy was the reason for the cancellation of a fellow trainee’s debut.
The prosecution alleges that A’s channel earned approximately 250 million won and has evidence that she used a portion of the profits to buy real estate.
Last October, Jang Wonyoung and Starship took legal action, alleging severe defamation caused by the dissemination of false information. They were successful in part, as they were awarded 100 million won in damages. However, A has recently retained legal representation and submitted an appeal against the ruling, maintaining their innocence and requesting a hold on the payment of damages.
A’s assets, currently valued at approximately 210 million won, have been subjected to preliminary attachment. This measure aims to prevent A from disposing of her property and concealing any profits acquired from the crime before a final verdict is reached. The prosecution intends to confiscate these assets in accordance with the court’s ruling.
Jang Wonyoung and Starship have made it clear that they are not in favor of showing leniency towards A.
Along with the civil lawsuit for damages, A is also facing criminal charges for breaking the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection. At a recent court hearing, she attempted to avoid the media by wearing a pink top, a white skirt, a wig, and a mask to hide her identity, and even ran away from cameras and reporters.
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