IVE‘s Jang Wonyoung and her agency, Starship Entertainment, are currently embroiled in a legal dispute with a YouTube channel known as ‘Sojang‘, which they’ve identified as a purveyor of fake news. They’ve now scheduled a mediation session for May.
The Seoul Central District Court is set to oversee the mediation proceedings on May 17th. This is part of the lawsuit where Jang Wonyoung is seeking damages of 100 million won from Ms. A, the person behind ‘Sojang‘.
Previously, the court decided to refer the case for mediation. This is a process where both parties attempt to reach a mutual agreement to resolve the lawsuit. If an agreement is reached, the lawsuit concludes. However, both Jang Wonyoung and Starship Entertainment have made it clear that their position remains firm.
Starship Entertainment has been outspoken about their ongoing legal battles against ‘Sojang‘. They allege that the channel has continuously harassed their artists and spread false information, causing significant harm to the artists and their fans. They’re committed to holding the channel accountable through their ongoing lawsuits.
Jang Wonyoung‘s lawyer, Jeong Gyeong Seok, has downplayed the significance of the court’s decision to refer the case for mediation. He stated that their primary focus is on securing compensation from the defendant. He also mentioned that there has been no contact with the other party yet, but discussions might occur during the mediation.
In May 2023, Starship Entertainment received an order from the US District Court for the Northern District of California to provide information. This month, they obtained significant information about the operator of ‘Sojang‘ from Google’s US headquarters. They’ve expressed their strong intention to take legal action against ‘Sojang‘ with Google’s cooperation.
Starship Entertainment managed to secure a partial victory for Jang Wonyoung in October 2023 without any argument or judgment announcement from the court. However, Ms. A is currently trying to avoid paying compensation by appealing against the judgment, applying for a stay of enforcement of the lawsuit result, and even depositing 100 million won.
During the second hearing of the lawsuit at the Seoul Central District Court, Jang Wonyoung‘s lawyer argued that it’s not clear what proportion of the total profit made by Ms. A‘s defamation or business interference is. He mentioned that it might be possible to distinguish it, but Ms. A deleted the account, so only the total profit is known.
Source[1]
