The fourth-generation powerhouse girl group NewJeans has reportedly asked a California federal court to help them find the identity of a YouTuber.
On April 10, the New York Times reported that the group’s agency, ADOR, has approached the court to order Google to reveal the identity of the person behind a YouTube account called @Middle7. In the court filing, @Middle7 was accused of making defamatory statements about NewJeans in dozens of videos, which were viewed over 13 million times.
Eugene Kim, the lawyer representing NewJeans in the lawsuit, stated that the YouTube account had engaged in “name-calling and other mocking behavior” against the members and that the videos “continue to inflict significant reputational damage.”
While the reports came out only recently, the filing was made on March 27. If the court rules in favor of NewJeans, the group would be able to sue the YouTube user in South Korea for defamation and insult, both criminal offenses in the country.
ADOR had initially filed a criminal complaint against @Middle7 with a police station in Seoul. The case, however, could not progress as the YouTube account was anonymous. Eugene Kim had reached out to Google directly for assistance. But after they declined, he filed the motion with the California court under a federal statute that allows people to obtain documents needed in a foreign case proceeding.
If NewJeans is able to obtain the YouTuber’s information successfully, it will make for significant progress in the defamation cases that K-Pop idols are increasingly getting tied up in. Previously, IVE member Wonyoung and her agency, Starship Entertainment, successfully sued a malicious YouTuber after obtaining her identity with the help of attorney Chong Kyong Sok. Chong had taken a similar approach to identify the YouTuber, which led to a milestone win for the K-Pop idol in a civil suit against her. Read more about it here.
