The infamous legal battle between Starship Entertainment and the controversial YouTube channel Sojang has amplified to the core. Earlier this month, Starship won the case in court yet Sojang has again filed an appeal.

As per the insiders from the litigation, on June 18, the operator of Sojang appealed against the Seoul Central District Court few weeks ago. This has grabbed eyeballs since high-profile names have been looped in the case.

Judgement favoring Starship in civil court

On June 4, the 50th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court, led by Judge Choi Mi Young, harnessed a judgement in favour of Starship Entertainment against Sojang. The court ruled that the YouTuber had tarnished the profession of the agency and its artists by imparting derogatory content.

The court added that Sojang’s operator will have to pay 50 million KRW (approx. 36,500 USD) in damages to the agency against the requested 100 million KRW in compensation, by the latter.

About Sojang, the YouTube channel operator

The operator of Sojang gained traction for sharing cyberbullying-style content online. These curated videos vehemently targeted celebrities with rumors, twisted stories, and conspiracies. The channel gained an immense viewership rate from October 2021 to June 2023 by conistently defaming Jang Wonyoung (IVE), BTS, EXO, aespa, and Kang Daniel.

Sojang witnesses an array of charges

In the hindsight, Starship and Jang Wonyoung filed criminal charges against Sojang’s operator. The court, after evaluating the behavioral patterns and evidence, sentenced the individual two-year in prison. However, it was terminated for three years until further offenses happens in the future. This has been challenged in the court seeking the gravitas of the case by the prosecutors.

In a different damages lawsuit, Jang Wonyoung attained a partial victory. The court instructed Sojang to pay the idol 50 million KRW.

Sojang also faces litigation battles filed by BTS (BigHit Music), EXO (SM Entertainment), aespa, and soloist Kang Daniel.

Not too long ago, YouTuber Sojang was the target of a defamation lawsuit brought by Kang Daniel. Sojang was supposed to appear in court today for the final hearing, but they failed to do so, prompting the court to issue a strong warning and threaten to arrest them if this occurred again.

Kang Daniel’s sasaeng YouTuber Sojang missed the final hearing

The South Korean media outlet Spot TV News revealed on July 15, 2024, that the YouTuber Sojang, who disseminated false information about Kang Daniel and defamed him, had neglected to show up in court for the lawsuit’s final hearing. As a result, the last trial has been rescheduled.

According to reports, Judge Lee Jun Gu of the 18th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court was scheduled to hold a public hearing for the trial of the lawsuit that Kang Daniel filed against Park, a YouTuber.

Parks’ attorney gave a detailed explanation of their absence from the trial on this particular day, stating that they were in excruciating pain following surgery to remove a tumor from their finger.

Know more about Kang Daniel’s lawsuit against Sojang

The court expressed displeasure, stating that it is improper practice and puts the court in an awkward situation to receive a reason for absence on the day of the trial.

Notably, YouTube user Sojang (Park) has been charged with defaming Kang Daniel by uploading a malicious video in 2022 under the false name “Promiscuous Private Life of Nation’s Boyfriend-Actor-Idol.”

Additionally, Park is charged with posting disparaging remarks about aespa and Jang Wonyoung of IVE.