BTS’ V and Jungkook win legal battle; YouTuber ordered to pay 86 Million KRW in damages

In its latest decision, the appellate court directed Park to pay an additional 5 million KRW (around $3,800) each to V and Jungkook.

• BTS's V and Jungkook win increased damages in lawsuit against YouTuber Sojang
• Court orders Park to pay 86 million KRW for false videos about the BTS members
• Case highlights accountability for spreading false content about K-pop idols

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BTS members V and Jungkook have secured another partial win in their ongoing damages lawsuit against YouTuber Sojang, after an appellate court ruled in their favour and increased the compensation awarded to them.

According to The Korea Times, on January 23, the Civil Appeals Division of the Seoul Western District Court ordered the operator of the YouTube channel Talduksooyongso to pay a total of 86 million won (approximately $65,000) in damages for uploading videos that contained false information about V and Jungkook. The defendant in the case is Park, who ran the controversial channel.

In its latest decision, the appellate court directed Park to pay an additional 5 million KRW (around $3,800) each to V and Jungkook. The court stated that parts of the initial ruling, in which the two BTS members had not fully prevailed, were partially overturned, and that the defendant must provide further compensation to the artists.

Previously, in the original ruling delivered in February last year, the court had ordered Park to pay 51 million KRW (approximately $39,000) to BigHit Music, along with 10 million KRW (about $7,700) to V and 15 million KRW (roughly $11,500) to Jungkook.

That decision was considered a partial victory for the plaintiffs. If the appellate court’s ruling is finalized, Park will now be obligated to pay a combined total of 86 million KRW (approximately $66,000) in damages to BigHit Music and the BTS members involved.

V and Jungkook first filed the lawsuit in March 2024, seeking close to 90 million KRW (around $69,000) in damages. They accused Park of posting videos that contained false and defamatory claims that harmed their reputations. In addition, the plaintiffs argued that Park had violated copyright laws by unlawfully using content owned by their agency without permission.

The legal dispute originated from videos uploaded by Talduksooyongso, a channel that became notorious in 2021 for publishing content based on unverified allegations and malicious rumours targeting K-pop idols.

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Although the channel has since been taken down, it has continued to be a focal point in wider discussions surrounding online harassment, anonymity, and accountability on digital platforms.

BigHit Music and the artists maintained that the videos included fabricated claims that caused serious reputational damage, prompting them to pursue legal action. Many fans have viewed the case as a significant test of whether anonymous gossip-driven YouTube channels can be held financially and legally responsible for spreading false and harmful content.