Jang Won-young Lawsuit Ends with Court Ordering 50M Won Compensation

A major legal victory has been secured in the Jang Won-young lawsuit, as the Seoul Central District Court has ruled in favor of the IVE member and her agency, Starship Entertainment. The operator of the now-deleted YouTube channel “Taldeok Suyongso” has been ordered to pay 50 million won in damages for spreading false information about the K-pop idol.

On June 4, Judge Choi Mi-young of the court’s 50th Civil Division presided over the first trial in the 100 million won damages claim filed by Starship Entertainment against YouTuber A. Originally scheduled for April, the trial was delayed until this week. While the agency sought 100 million won in compensation, the court ultimately ruled that A must pay 50 million won plus interest.

The judge explained the reasoning behind the compensation, citing the number and nature of the defamatory videos, Starship’s standing in the entertainment industry, and Jang Won-young’s significant influence as a top idol. Notably, A had a large platform as the figurehead of “Cyber Recka,” a group known for controversial content. Many of his videos reached 100,000 to over 1 million views, exacerbating the damage.

Since November 2022, Starship has been pursuing both civil and criminal suits against A, including filing actions overseas. A was indicted under Korea’s Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection for defamation and insult. His content targeted not only Jang Won-young but also BTS, Kang Daniel, and other public figures. The court noted that A earned about 250 million won from these videos before the channel’s deletion.

Separately, Jang Won-young also filed her own 100 million won lawsuit against A. In January, the 9-3 Civil Appeals Division ruled partially in her favor, ordering A to pay her 50 million won, following an earlier ruling of 100 million won in the first-instance court.

A has faced repeated losses in court. Last November, Kang Daniel won 30 million won in a similar case. In February, Big Hit Music, along with BTS members V and Jungkook, secured another win—A was ordered to pay 51 million won to Big Hit, 10 million won to V, and 15 million won to Jungkook.

Earlier this year, A was sentenced to two years in prison (suspended for three), fined 210 million won, and ordered to complete 120 hours of community service. The prosecution later appealed, stating that A caused irreparable harm by knowingly producing and distributing false content.

In his defense, A claimed his videos were merely expressions of opinion, not false statements of fact. He argued that as a solo content creator, he could not have harmed a large company like Starship. However, the court disagreed, concluding that his videos did interfere with Starship’s business operations and tarnished the reputations of both Jang Won-young and IVE.

The court emphasized the harmful influence of A’s content, especially considering his large subscriber base and the widespread media coverage it triggered. The Jang Won-young lawsuit marks a significant step in holding creators accountable for the damage caused by malicious online rumors. For more news related to Jang Won-young, do check out the link below.

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