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SEVENTEEN to take legal action against sasaeng fans for buying flight information and leaking unreleased album details
HYBE's subsidiary, Pledis Entertainment, is taking legal action against privacy breaches and online slander targeting SEVENTEEN. Read on to learn more.
On March 17, Pledis Entertainment, the agency managing SEVENTEEN, announced that it will take strict legal action against individuals responsible for breaching the group's privacy and creating defamatory content about them. According to South Korean media outlet Newsen, the agency responded to three specific unwanted incidents: the unauthorized leak of album and performance details, the disclosure of the members' flight information, and the spread of malicious posts about the group.
Since 2023, there have been multiple instances of confidential information leaks about SEVENTEEN’s unreleased albums and performances via anonymous online forums. As the leaks "had escalated beyond an acceptable level," Pledis Entertainment initiated a thorough investigation and began gathering evidence to pursue legal action, which includes submitting a formal complaint to the authorities. They mentioned the appointment of a legal representative in the latter half of 2024 and filing a formal complaint.
They also took measures against illegal flight detail selling and buying of the boy band members. Pledis' statement mentioned, "Recently, an airline employee was criminally charged following an investigation for illegally selling SEVENTEEN’s flight information, violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection." The agency filed legal complaints, citing the Act on Punishment of Crime of Stalking, against those responsible for invading SEVENTEEN's privacy.
Pledis also revealed having gathered concrete evidence against "defamatory statements, false rumors, slander, sexual harassment, and other malicious posts" concerning the K-pop idols. They mentioned the basis of their investigation being real-time monitoring and valuable fan reports from various online communities and social media platforms, like X (formerly Twitter), Nate Pann, Instiz, TheQoo, YouTube, and other domestic and global platforms. Furthermore, the agency requested fans to report any defamatory content to the HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Website (https://protect.hybecorp.com) if they encounter it.
PLEDIS Entertainment extended their appreciation for the fans' "unwavering love and support for SEVENTEEN." The agency reassured their commitment to safeguarding their artists, stating that they will persist in their efforts "to ensure that the rights of our artists are fully protected."
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