IVE’s Wonyoung and Starship Achieve Partial Success in Lawsuit Against YouTuber ‘Sojang’

The Seoul Central District Court recently ruled in favor of Wonyoung and her agency, Starship Entertainment, in a legal battle against the YouTuber known as ‘Sojang’. The court, led by Judge Choi Mi Young, found sufficient grounds for Starship’s lawsuit regarding defamation, resulting in a partial victory for the agency.

Sojang’s channel has been controversial, often accused of engaging in what many label "cyber wrecking," by spreading damaging rumors about various celebrities, including Wonyoung. In this latest ruling, the court mandated Sojang, referred to in court documents as ‘A’, to compensate Starship Entertainment 50 million KRW (around $36,500). This amount is half of the original claim for damages, which was set at 100 million KRW ($73,000).

In a parallel legal fight, Wonyoung initiated her own lawsuit against Sojang, leading to an additional ruling that held the YouTuber accountable for personal defamation as well. The court required ‘A’ to pay Wonyoung 50 million KRW, also around $36,500.

This isn’t the first time Sojang has faced legal repercussions. In September of the prior year, the YouTuber was fined 10 million KRW ($7,320) for defaming singer Kang Daniel and was ordered to pay another 30 million KRW ($22,000) in a related case. Moreover, Sojang has amassed a growing list of defamation allegations concerning several high-profile figures, including BTS members V and Jungkook, for which the channel has been ordered to pay a staggering 76 million KRW ($55,700).

As Sojang faces increasing legal and financial challenges from multiple idol groups, it highlighted the ongoing battle against online defamation in the K-pop industry.