IU to Choi Siwon: Celebrities Take a Stand Against Online Trolls

Singer-actress IU (real name Lee Ji-eun) has taken decisive action against malicious online commenters by filing for evidence disclosure in a U.S. court to unmask the identities of harmful posters. This move comes as part of a growing trend among Korean celebrities, including Super Junior's Choi Siwon, who are actively pursuing legal measures against anonymous individuals spreading malicious content online.

Dispatch reported on the 20th that IU filed a discovery request against Meta in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on the 15th. This legal maneuver aims to gather crucial evidence for an ongoing defamation lawsuit in South Korea.

According to the filed application, IU's legal team has identified a specific account user who allegedly posted approximately 52 false and damaging entries about the star between March and October of last year.

IU's representatives stated that they are currently unable to proceed with the domestic lawsuit due to the anonymous nature of the account holder. They have asked the court to order Meta to disclose identifying information, including names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and IP access logs.

The application outlines six categories of harmful content posted by the user, including plagiarism accusations, false claims about IU's relationship with China, misrepresentations of her international success, allegations of exploiting deceased celebrities for publicity, claims of media manipulation, and baseless connections between her lyrics and national tragedies.

IU's team emphasized that some of these allegations, such as the plagiarism claims, had already been legally addressed in 2024, resulting in a 30 million KRW (approximately $22,500) defamation judgment. Despite this, similar false claims continue to circulate online.

This legal action is part of IU's ongoing efforts to combat online harassment. In February, she announced that she was pursuing criminal and civil cases against 96 individuals. In a related case this May, one online troll received a four-month suspended prison sentence.

IU isn't alone in her fight against online defamation. Fellow celebrity Choi Siwon has also taken a firm stance against malicious posters.

Recently, it was reported that Choi Siwon's request for discovery against X (formerly Twitter) and ten users was granted by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. He sought to obtain identifying information such as names, birthdates, and addresses of the defendants for his lawsuit in Korea.

The legal action follows a controversy in February when Choi posted Chinese idioms on his personal account during former President Yoon Suk Yeol's first trial verdict. The posts, which could be interpreted as political commentary, sparked a wave of online attacks and derogatory comments. In response, his agency, SM Entertainment, announced plans to take legal action against the spread of false information and malicious posts.

On the 7th, Choi Siwon personally addressed the issue, stating, "The silence ends here. I will no longer tolerate malice," signaling his determination to take strong action against online harassment.