SM Entertainment gave an update on the label's lawsuit against fraudsters who stole EXO and NCT members' personal information.
As previously reported, two fraudsters were fined 3 million won ($2167.74 USD) by the Seoul Eastern District Court for deceiving SM Entertainment artists by pretending to be delivery drivers in order to gain access to their personal data. The victims were reportedly 3 members of NCT and 1 member of EXO.
SM Entertainment has now released a statement through KWANGYA 119 on a lawsuit against the fraudsters as well as issues related to defamation, copyright infringement, and more in terms of label artists. The agency's statement is as follows:
"Hello, this is SM Entertainment.
We would like to inform you of the results regarding the lawsuit against the theft of personal information related to 1 member of EXO and 3 members of NCT.
We have collected substantial evidence through your reports and our own monitoring regarding the act of impersonating delivery drivers during the X (Twitter) live broadcast in April 2023, through which artists' personal information was stolen. We have filed a complaint with the law firm Sejong (Limited) as our legal representative, charging the suspects with violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, among others.
The defendants in this case impersonated delivery drivers during a live broadcast with numerous viewers, stealing artists' addresses and broadcasting them to the public. At the time, the police identified 4 participants in the live broadcast as suspects, and subsequently forwarded 2 individuals who directly called the artists to the prosecution for indictment.
During the recent trial proceedings, the defendants admitted to all charges, claiming their actions stemmed from fandom for the artists and requesting leniency. Ultimately, each of the two defendants was fined 3 million Korean Won. We appreciate the tremendous support and valuable reports from fans that enabled legal action against these criminal acts targeting artists.
Despite ongoing efforts, unauthorized actions such as obtaining and using artists' phone numbers or home addresses persist. Artists have endured this, appealing for relief from the profound psychological distress caused by these actions. We emphasize once again that these behaviors constitute serious crimes, instilling fear and inflicting significant mental harm rather than showing genuine interest in artists.
Furthermore, we continue to monitor and take legal action against not only such behaviors but also any acts infringing upon artists' rights and dignity, adhering to a strict zero-tolerance policy. We await the outcomes of several other legal cases. Please cease any behaviors infringing on artists' privacy and avoid involvement in unwarranted incidents.
Thank you."
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