Two NewJeans Cyberbullies Given Suspended Prosecution; Deepfake Offender’s 3-Year Prison Sentence Confirmed on Appeal

ADOR has disclosed the status of legal actions taken against malicious posts and deepfake crimes targeting NewJeans. On the 29th, ADOR posted a notice on the fan communication platform Weverse outlining legal responses to infringements on artists’ rights. Two of the individuals who created malicious comments have already been punished, while the deepfake offender’s 3-year prison sentence was confirmed during the appeal process.

Starting in December last year, ADOR assigned additional external monitoring staff after determining that the severity and spread of malicious comments against artists were extremely serious. The company explained that it collected malicious posts from all sources, submitted requests to remove them, and secured evidence. Based on the verified cases identified, it filed complaints with law enforcement agencies against posters of malicious content across numerous domestic and international communities as well as social media platforms.

Regarding a separate complaint filed in the second half of last year, one user from Naver News comments and one user from Epemkorea were given suspended prosecution with the condition that they complete mandatory education programs. Investigations into the remaining accused are still ongoing. ADOR emphasized that it will actively pursue appeals and other remedies if it determines that the investigation results fall short of reflecting the seriousness of the cases, and will maintain a firm stance to the end.

ADOR also took a strong stance on deepfake crimes targeting NewJeans. The company stated, “Under no circumstances will we show leniency or compromise; we are taking every legal measure available to us.” An offender who was sentenced to 3 years in prison last year appealed, but the higher court recently dismissed all of the appeals. In addition, during another case still under trial in the first instance, there were attempts to seek a settlement, but ADOR rejected these attempts and reiterated its intent to impose strict punishment.

ADOR plans to continuously monitor artist-related posts posted on various platforms, including domestic and international communities and social media sites. It also stated that it will consistently take legal action against posters of malicious content based on reports from fans. Furthermore, the company urged fans to actively report such incidents through the “HYBE Artist Rights Infringement Reporting Site.”