IU's management has provided updates on the legal actions they have taken.
On August 7, EDAM Entertainment, the agency representing IU (real name Lee Ji-eun), officially shared the progress on the criminal lawsuits they initiated earlier in 2023. These lawsuits were against those spreading malicious rumors, slander, and groundless plagiarism claims against the artist.
The agency revealed they had filed a defamation lawsuit on May 4th against those spreading leaflets and online posts claiming "IU is a spy." While they were able to identify the individuals behind these claims, the investigation has faced hurdles due to their refusal to cooperate.
EDAM Entertainment has urged for a speedy investigation, also highlighting that similar leaflets were found posted on a building in Ulsan on July 2nd. The agency stated, "We are exploring legal measures to prevent such actions."
Regarding allegations of IU violating copyright laws, the agency commented, "On May 10th, it was reported in the media that an artist was accused of violating the copyright of six songs. Immediately on the same day, we requested the disclosure of the indictment, understanding its intent and content by May 12th." They also mentioned that, "On May 15th, we asserted that this case has no legal basis and urged for its swift conclusion. Legal clarifications were further made on July 20th and 28th. We are currently awaiting the decision of the investigative agency."
Concerning the false plagiarism rumors, the agency filed defamation lawsuits against 58 individuals in March, based on over 1700 pieces of evidence collected since February. The agency has also confirmed plans to apply for arrest warrants to identify the individuals involved.
On the issue of online trolls, EDAM Entertainment said, "On March 3rd, we filed a lawsuit against 61 individuals who posted derogatory comments and produced obscene content targeting the artist. We are in the process of obtaining arrest warrants for these individuals."
The agency also reported that "On March 6th, we filed complaints against 60 individuals who produced and posted obscene content targeting the artist. We are currently in the process of securing these individuals." Moreover, on July 7th, lawsuits were filed against 21 individuals for posting derogatory content about the artist, and on the 21st, 11 more were added to the lawsuit.
While IU's agency expects that the legal proceedings may take some time, they emphasized that they would "pursue legal responsibility to the end to prevent recurrence." They added, "We will not overlook any malicious attacks against our artist. We are preparing for additional lawsuits." They concluded by promising, "We will strengthen our monitoring of malicious posts and establish a more systematic approach to protect our artist."
