This week, South Korean entertainment agency YG Entertainment announced that it would file a complaint against the person who distributed private photos of BLACKPINK’s Jennie. After pictures featuring figures speculated to be Jennie and BTS member V appeared online, speculation grew that the two K-pop stars were dating. A statement released on Oct. 3 by YG Entertainment confirmed that the agency is taking legal action against slander and disinformation. “We are revealing that we have officially requested the police to examine the original distributor of BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s personal photos,” the release read. “YG has been continuously monitoring the relevant content, and we submitted a complaint last September after collecting information.”
“In order to minimize further damage, YG has refrained from commenting [regarding the situation] and expressing our stance. However, the recent mass production of rumors, accusations, personal attacks, sexual harassment, and invasion of privacy sparked by the personal photos have been occurring indiscriminately, so we felt a sense of responsibility, making it difficult for us to overlook this any longer. Therefore, we want to reveal the facts of the legal action, and we want to correct the situation.”
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The agency also stated that it has filed a complaint under the Information and Communication Network Act alleging defamation, “violation of the prohibition on illegal information distribution,” and “obscene use of communication media.” The message continued, “We plan on taking all [possible] legal action without any leniency for further harm that occurs afterwards. The photos that have circulated online were revealed illegally regardless of one’s personal intentions. The act of sharing [these personal photos] is not only a secondary offense, but it is also subject to legal punishment. We sincerely ask that you avoid this indiscriminate sharing.”
Despite YG Entertainment’s request for a police investigation, Allkpop reported that a cyber hacking expert believes there is little chance of apprehending the person responsible for initially uploading Jennie’s images. According to the outlet, Lee Jin-ho, a former entertainment journalist and YouTuber, quoted a cybersecurity expert saying, “it is virtually impossible to catch a person on Telegram (the platform used by the leaker).” The reporter explained, “I checked with an expert (about the possibility of arrest), and a fairly skeptical answer came back.” He added, “The problem is that this platform has never handed over data to a domestic investigative agency.”
Lee Jin-ho also said that the possibility of being arrested is low even with Telegram’s cooperation. He said, via Allkpop, “In the past, you could sign up for Telegram by email. If the distributor signed up with a Google email, they would have to ask for cooperation from Google. These two companies are never ones to give out personal information.” It appeared that the leaker also regarded the possibility of arrest as unlikely and sent a defiant message to YG Entertainment on Oct. 3, Allkpop reported. The individual wrote on Telegram, ‘Not in jail’ and “I will deactivate Telegram until the company files a lawsuit against me,” “It was very quick.”
