PLEDIS vows no-settlement legal action over posts mocking SEVENTEEN members in military service
SEVENTEEN's agency PLEDIS Entertainment said on November 2 that it will pursue civil and criminal action, with no leniency or settlements, against people who create or spread defamatory posts about the members, including content mocking their military service.
PLEDIS Entertainment is taking a hard line on online abuse aimed at SEVENTEEN. In an official statement on November 2, the agency said malicious posts about the group have been increasing on social media and online communities, including personal attacks, false information, and videos and images edited to ridicule the members.
The agency singled out content mocking members who are doing their mandatory military service. It said such posts damage the artists' reputations and could also affect their ability to serve in a stable environment. PLEDIS said it will pursue civil and criminal action with no leniency or settlements, against the original creators and posters as well as malicious distributors.
PLEDIS said deleting a post or account will not end the matter, because evidence is collected through real-time monitoring. It specifically mentioned accounts on X and Instagram. Fans can send reports through HYBE's artist rights protection site, and the agency gave capture guidelines for each platform.
Confirmed
- PLEDIS Entertainment said in an official statement on November 2 that it has seen a rise in malicious posts about SEVENTEEN, including personal attacks, false information and defamation, and is closely monitoring content that distorts facts about the members and their military service or maliciously edits videos and images.
- PLEDIS said it will apply a zero-tolerance policy, with no leniency or settlements, to the original creators and posters as well as malicious distributors, and that deleting posts or accounts will not stop legal action based on evidence already secured.
- The agency asked fans to report violations through the HYBE artist rights violation reporting site (protect.hybecorp.com), with full-screen captures or PDFs showing the URL, username, content and timestamps.
Reported by other outlets
- STARNEWS, Sports Donga and Newsis reported the statement on November 2, noting that SEVENTEEN's members are currently fulfilling their mandatory military service.
Analysis
2FC NEWSROOM analysis: K-pop agencies are increasingly treating the period while members serve in the military as a time when their artists' reputations need active legal protection. The statement reads as a deterrent as much as an update.