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aespa defamers sentenced: 3-year jail term with 5-year probation amid Karina controversy, SM Entertainment confirms
aespa faced malicious attacks, including deep fakes, prompting their agency to take legal measures to safeguard the group. Read to know more.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of s*xual harassment, which may be distressing to some readers. Please exercise discretion!
Popular fourth gen K-pop girl group aespa was targeted with slander and deepfake content. To protect them from the severe online harassment, their agency, SM Entertainment, vowed strict legal action. On June 5 KST, they provided an update regarding the identified defamors of aespa and the court's verdict regarding their cases. They also issued a strong warning regarding keeping the ruling in mind and refraining from similar acts in future.
aespa became a victim of online slander
Online hate is a pervasive problem for many artists, and aespa has also not been able to escape malicious attacks and negativity. As per SM Entertainment, the girl group members were targeted with "malicious posts and comments, deep fakes, manipulated photos and videos, and text." Those offences were concerning and eligible for legal consequences as they constituted "defamation, insult, s*xual harassment."
Thus, the agency took matters to the court and the defendants faced probation statements.
aespa's defamors faced legal consequences
SM Entertainment revealed that "many individuals (who defamed aespa) have been identified and are currently under investigation." Some cases concluded with guilty verdicts, leading to penalties that included three-year prison sentences with five-year probationary periods, and monetary fines. It showed the agency's quick and efficient problem-solving ability and their conviction to protect their artists.
How did SM Entertainment collect evidence against aespa's defamors?
The company announced that they gathered significant evidence against those who spread false claims, slander, s*xually harassing content, mocking posts, and malicious attacks targeting aespa. They did so by monitoring various social media platforms and online communities. Besides the ones already punished by the court, identification of several other suspects are underway, and SM Entertainment was "currently preparing further legal action."
Additionally, they emphasized that everyone should avoid any direct or indirect involvement in such illegal activities, strongly discouraging such behavior.
aespa's recent controversies leading to online hate
Recently, aespa's leader Karina posted a photo wearing a red jacket with the number 2 printed on it, leading to speculations of her support towards a particular political party ahead of presidential elections. The hate train escalated with the group's announcement of title for comeback album to be Dirty Work. Many alleged that 'dirty' was a fitting word for the ground due to Karina's political scandal.
