The NewJeans fandom, known as Bunnies, has initiated legal action against HYBE, Source Music, and two journalists from entertainment media outlet Dispatch. 

The legal representative for Team Bunnies, the law firm Opes, confirmed on September 2nd that they had filed a complaint with the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul. The complaint charges HYBE, Source Music, and Dispatch with violations of the Personal Information Protection Act and the Information and Communications Network Act due to alleged information leaks and defamation through published articles.

Opes stated, “HYBE, as the parent company of ADOR, cannot illegally collect or leak personal information about the CEO and artists of its subsidiary, nor can Source Music, another HYBE subsidiary. The illegally collected and leaked personal information was used to write articles that have spread malicious comments about NewJeans. This has severely damaged the group’s reputation, and the harm is ongoing.” The law firm added that the false information and criticism resulting from these illegal actions have caused significant harm to the young members of NewJeans. The fandom’s decision to file the complaint is driven by a desire to correct these wrongs through legal means.

Previously, Dispatch and other media outlets reported portions of a leaked KakaoTalk conversation between former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, an ADOR executive, and a shaman. These reports also alleged that Min Hee-jin engaged in poaching trainees during the time when NewJeans members were still trainees under Source Music.

Lee Hyun-gon, a lawyer from Saeol Law Firm, commented that if the leaked KakaoTalk conversations were provided by HYBE’s internal teams, this constitutes a serious breach of personal information. Writing articles based on such leaks, knowing their illegal nature, could also be considered a violation of the law.

An anonymous legal expert added, “If the Dispatch journalist used videos and information that could only have been obtained by an insider and reported them without the consent of those involved, it could be considered defamation and a violation of personal rights. The company responsible for the leak could face charges under the Personal Information Protection Act.”

A representative from Team Bunnies revealed that they plan to continue filing third-party complaints against malicious posts related to NewJeans. They have already categorized and collected thousands of such posts and have hired two additional lawyers to proceed with legal action in the order of the most likely prosecutable cases.

The representative emphasized that their goal is to protect NewJeans at all costs and to ensure that the fandom becomes a significant factor that HYBE must consider. They hinted at further actions beyond the legal complaints, though specifics remain undisclosed.

SEE ALSO: K-netizens react to ADOR staff using body cams to film vacated NewJeans dorms