NewJeans Fandom Takes Legal Action Against HYBE & Dispatch Journalists

The legal representative of Bunnies (a fandom of NewJeans) announced on August 2 that they have filed a complaint against HYBE, Source Music, and Dispatch at the Seoul Yongsan Police Station. The complaint was made on behalf of Bunnies and is based on the violation of the Personal Information Protection Act and the Information and Communications Network Act. This is in response to the leak of personal information and defamatory articles.

Despite being the parent company of ADOR, HYBE is prohibited from illegally collecting or disclosing personal information of its subsidiary’s CEO or artists, as well as confidential information obtained through their responsibilities. This rule also extends to Source Music, another subsidiary of HYBE. Moreover, the circulation of online articles containing unlawfully obtained personal information has caused severe defamation of NewJeans, with the damage continuously escalating.

The statement emphasizes the significant damage and harm being caused to young artists as a result of continuous false accusations and criticism against NewJeans, stemming from their illegal acts. In response, the Bunnies fandom has united to seek justice through the strict application of the law, resulting in the filing of a formal complaint.

Previously, Dispatch and other news sources covered a portion of a KakaoTalk conversation that involved former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, an ADOR executive known as A, and a shaman. These reports also alleged that Min Hee-jin had recruited trainees from Source Music, citing evidence from when the NewJeans members were trainees at Source Music.

Lawyer Lee Hyun-gon of Saeol Law Office stated that if the leaked KakaoTalk conversation was indeed obtained by HYBE employees, it would be a severe violation of personal information. Additionally, publishing an article with knowledge of the motive behind the leak could also be considered a criminal offense.

According to an unidentified legal specialist, releasing untrue details without the permission of those involved and utilizing exclusive videos and data that only an insider could obtain could be deemed as both defamation and a violation of personal rights. The company responsible for the leak may also be violating the Personal Information Protection Act.

Finally, a representative of the NewJeans fan community declared that they will persist in submitting third-party complaints against any harmful content pertaining to NewJeans. They have already identified and gathered thousands of such posts and have recruited two more expert attorneys to prioritize the filing of complaints based on their chances of legal action.

The spokesperson also stated, “Our top priority is to safeguard NewJeans and demonstrate to HYBE that our fandom is a formidable force. In addition to this complaint, we have other measures in the works that are currently confidential.”

The source of the article can be found on Naver at the following link: https://m.entertain.naver.com/ranking/article/144/0000985957.