SM, aespa announces legal action against winter slander and malicious posts

SM Entertainment has announced a strong legal response policy against malicious posts and defamation targeting Winter, a member of aespa. On the 28th, SM Entertainment issued an official statement sternly warning against the malicious posts circulated about Winter and announced that legal action would be taken. The agency explained, ″False information, defamation, insults, malicious slander, personal attacks, sexual harassment, and other illegal posts and content targeting the artist are continuously being posted on various platforms,″ and stated that they plan to proceed with legal procedures such as filing complaints step by step after review by a law firm. They also expressed their stance to respond strongly to malicious acts regardless of domestic or international sites. SM said, ″We will secure the necessary data to identify the routes of post creation and distribution as well as the authors, regardless of domestic or international boundaries, and request investigations from the competent investigative agencies,″ adding, ″We reiterate that any perpetrators caught will be held legally accountable under a zero-tolerance policy without any leniency or settlement.″ Winter was embroiled in dating rumors with Jungkook of BTS last year, and the rumors resurfaced in August when it was revealed that Jungkook had ’liked’ the same SNS post. During this process, rumors and malicious comments targeting Winter continued. SM Entertainment stated that they are continuously collecting and securing related materials through the official fan reporting platform ’KWANGYA 119’ and their own monitoring system. The agency added that they will strengthen legal responses to malicious posts to protect the rights and interests of their artists and asked for fans’ continued reports and attention. Meanwhile, Winter debuted in 2020 as a member of aespa and has gained global love by releasing several hit songs such as ″Next Level,″ ″Armageddon,″ and ″Whiplash.″