Overview
- SM Entertainment said Wednesday it secured a civil judgment requiring the Sojang channel operator to pay 170 million won for defamatory videos about EXO, Red Velvet, and aespa.
- The Seoul Central District Court’s April 22 ruling awarded 130 million won to the artists and 40 million won to SM for harm to its image and business.
- Judges found the videos went beyond opinion, citing false claims, personal attacks, and contemptuous language that infringed the singers’ honor and personality rights.
- In a related criminal case from January 2025, the operator received a two-year sentence suspended for three years, 120 hours of community service, and forfeiture of about 211 million won, a verdict later upheld on appeal.
- SM vowed a zero-tolerance legal strategy against channels that post insults or falsehoods, reflecting a wider push in South Korea to use civil and criminal law to curb persistent online defamation.