After BTS' V and Jungkook, EXO's Suho and aespa sue malicious YouTuber Sojang for defamation and slander

Following in the footsteps of BTS members V and Jungkook, EXO's Suho and the girl group aespa have now filed lawsuits against the notorious YouTuber Sojang, known for her defamatory and slanderous content. According to reports, Sojang attended the trial on September 2, yet another legal battle in a series of lawsuits brought against her by numerous K-pop idols.

Korean media outlet Newsen reported that all four members of aespa—Karina, Winter, Ningning, and Giselle—along with their agency, SM Entertainment, filed a defamation lawsuit against Ms Park (35), the operator of the YouTube channel Sojang. SM Entertainment confirmed that EXO's Suho has also sued the YouTuber for defamation and slander. The first trial for these cases was held on September 2 at the Incheon District Court.

Ms Park, who operates the channel Sojang, is being indicted on charges of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation). She faces numerous defamation lawsuits for creating at least 23 malicious videos between October 2021 and June 2023, targeting various K-pop idols. Reports indicate that she has profited around 250 million KRW (approximately 190,000 USD) from these defamatory videos.

The legal actions against Sojang have been mounting. On September 2, she also attended the second hearing for a 90 million KRW (approximately 68,000 USD) defamation lawsuit filed by BIGHIT MUSIC, representing BTS members V and Jungkook. During the first hearing, Sojang denied the allegations of slander, claiming that her videos were created in the public interest.

ALSO READ: ENHYPEN's personal information stolen by sasaeng fans; BELIFT LAB promises strong action

At the second hearing, Sojang's legal representative reiterated that she had no intention of defaming the artists or causing business obstruction. They argued that her videos were based on personal opinions and believed to be true, therefore should not be considered defamatory. Despite this defense, the courts continue to process the numerous lawsuits filed against her.

ALSO READ: French luxury brand apologizes to SEVENTEEN's Mingyu for unauthorised photo leak by an employee

Earlier, IVE's Jang Wonyoung and her agency, Starship Entertainment, had sued Sojang in January and won a 100 million KRW (approximately 75,000 USD) lawsuit against her. However, Ms Park's side filed an appeal, leading the court to refer the case to mediation, which ultimately failed to reach an agreement.