SM, Strong response to Winter's malicious posts... "No leniency or settlement"

Strong action against continuous malicious posts"Perpetrators caught will be held legally accountable"SM Entertainment has launched a crackdown on malicious posts related to group aespa WINTER. The photo shows Winter attending a press conference for the release of their second full album 'LEMONADE' held in June. / Reporter Seo Ye-won[THE FACT | Reporter Moon Chae-young] SM Entertainment has announced strong legal punishment for malicious commenters harassing group aespa WINTER.The agency SM Entertainment posted on its official social media on the 28th, "We sternly warn that strong legal action will be taken against malicious posts that are continuously being spread targeting Winter."It continued, "Currently, illegal posts and content such as the spread of false information, defamation, insult, malicious slander, personal attacks, and sexual harassment against Winter are continuously being posted on various platforms," adding, "We plan to proceed with legal procedures such as lawsuits in stages after thorough review by a law firm."Furthermore, it added, "We will respond to illegal activities conducted on anonymous bulletin boards and social media without exception, and we will secure the necessary data to identify the origin and perpetrator of posts, regardless of whether they are domestic or international, and request an investigation from the relevant investigative authorities."Strong punishment was also foreshadowed. SM Entertainment reiterated, "We emphasize that perpetrators caught will be held legally accountable without any leniency or settlement, based on a zero-tolerance policy," and advised, "Please exercise extreme caution to avoid participating in criminal acts."Finally, it pledged, "We are constantly collecting and securing data on all posts and content that infringe upon the rights and interests of our artists through fan reports and our own monitoring, and we will continue to strengthen our legal response to malicious posts to protect the rights and interests of our artists in the future."WINTER debuted as a member of aespa in 2020. They have received much love for songs such as 'Black Mamba', 'Next Level', 'Spicy', 'Supernova', and 'Whiplash'. They released 'SYNK : COMPLaeXITY' on the 14th.mcy21@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]