Pop Base: BTS' V & Jungkook Sues Youtuber While Big4 Gets Fined By FTC

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BTS Jungkook & V's Lawsuit Against Youtuber "Sojang"

It seems like the gates of hell have opened for YouTuber "Sojang" ever since IVE's Wonyoung filed a lawsuit against her. Since November 2022, Wonyoung's agency, Starship Entertainment, has pursued criminal and civil suits, including an overseas lawsuit, against Sojang, a YouTuber who had been continuously harassing multiple artists in the industry. In 2024, Wonyoung won the lawsuit, and Sojang was ordered to pay 100 million KRW (approximately 75,000 USD) in damages for spreading misinformation and insults. Following this, several other K-pop stars, including BTS' V and Jungkook, have also filed lawsuits against the defamatory YouTuber.

According to StarNews reporter Sang Geun Yoon, BigHit Entertainment filed a 90 million KRW (approximately 66,000 USD) lawsuit against Sojang in March of this year. The case was received by the 12th Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court, with the first hearing scheduled for August 23, 2024, nearly five months after the case was filed.

Hopefully, more K-pop labels will notice this trend and take legal steps to protect their artists from YouTubers and netizens like Sojang.

Big 4 Are in Big Trouble

While physical album sales have been declining in the Western music industry, K-pop fans are singlehandedly keeping them afloat worldwide. SEVENTEEN alone sold 16 million physical albums last year, with other groups not far behind. However, the high sales numbers seem to have negatively impacted the customer service skills of the Big 4—HYBE, YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment.

Recently, it was reported that the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) imposed a 10.5 Million KRW (approximatly 8,000 USD) fine on the Big 4, along with warnings and corrective orders, for unfairly restricting consumers' rights regarding the purchase of idol goods. Following are the details:

Hybe: 3 Million KRW fine (approximately 2,000 USD)

• Refused returns for opened packaging.

• No compensation for lost/returned items if not contacted within 1 month.

• Did not specify delivery details.

YG Plus: 2.5 Million KRW fine (approximately 2,000 USD)

• No cancellations/refunds after fan sign applications.

• No returns for event products with unreleased videos.

• No cancellations/exchanges after the pre-sale period.

SM: 2.5 Million KRW fine (approximately 2,000 USD)

• Limited returns to 7 days, even for defects.

• No compensation for items not received within 30 days.

• No exchanges/refunds for damaged packaging.

• Restrictive policies for custom products and event-related albums.

• Required unboxing videos for claims.

• Did not disclose non-eligible defects like minor printing errors.

JYP: 2.5 Million KRW fine (approximately 2,000 USD)

• Prohibited returns of custom products; limited pre-sale returns.

• Required unboxing videos for missing items.

• Allowed returns for defects only within 7 days.

• No compensation/redelivery for lost items after 30 days.

The More You Know:

• The members of SEVENTEEN are securing ambassadorships left and right, practicing for their Lollapalooza Berlin stage, and have sold out the U.S. stops for their upcoming world tour, SEVENTEEN "Right Here." In short, it's their month. However, the same cannot be said for CARATs.

  Recently PLEDIS Entertainment revealed on Weverse that Jeonghan is scheduled to enlist for mandatory military service in October 2024, meaning he won't be able to participate in the world tour, Lollapalooza, or promotions for their 12th mini album.

  Additionally, another member, Jun, will also miss the world tour and Lollapalooza due to scheduling conflicts, as he will be busy with his solo acting schedule in China. However, after the shooting is done, he will rejoin the group activities.

• Have you heard of aespa's latest hit "Supernova"? The Korean public can't stop listening to it. As of today, "Supernova" by aespa has spent 82 days at #1 on the MelOn daily chart, surpassing BTS' "Dynamite" and becoming only the second song in MelOn's history to achieve this.

• When TREASURE fans attended the group's recent "Reboot" concert in Seoul, they didn’t expect a K-pop legend to take the stage. On August 15, YG Entertainment's boy group TREASURE surprised everyone by bringing out none other than 2NE1's CL. The K-pop star performed her 2013 debut single "The Baddest Female" and the 2014 track "MTBD" from 2NE1’s second studio album “Crush”. Though the performance was brief, it left the audience in awe.

Our Favorite Music From Last Week

NCT 127’s JAEHYUN's alternative R&B-leaning pre-release track duo, "Roses/Dandelion," is undoubtedly one of the best K-Pop solos of 2024. Co-written by JAEHYUN, both tracks are pieces of art that are difficult to describe in words. As soon as "Roses" starts, it captivates you with its spatial panning. The production—from the instruments and choir harmonies to the sound effects in the chorus—will make you want to get "Roses" permanently tattooed on your brain matter. "Dandelion" is equally impressive, if not better. When listened to with headphones, JAEHYUN's vocals, with their transitions from chest voice to falsetto, will definitely give you goosebumps. JAEHYUN has set the bar extremely high for his comeback!!!

Tip: Both songs share a single music video and tell one cohesive story. For the best experience, watching the video before listening to each song separately is recommended.

PLEDIS Entertainment's decision to bring fromis_9 out of the basement was undoubtedly the best choice. The girl group's new track, "Supersonic," is very cutesy, very mindful, very demure, and undeniably a banger. The song sounds fresh and bright, and even though summer is already over, "Supersonic" can instantly bring back the summer feels with just a click. Everything about the song is perfect—from the lyrics to the vocals, the visuals, the catchy chorus, and even Hayoung's whistle tone in the background. The only complaint is that the song ends too soon. Hopefully, fromis_9 will release a new album soon—fingers crossed.

This week’s award for the most exceptionally talented and underrated nugu artist goes to Kursor. This Korean soloist's recent track, "Bad Trip," explores the experience of a nightmare, but the song itself is anything but a bad trip. Co-written by Kursor (real name Lim Jungho), "Bad Trip" offers a captivating auditory experience from start to finish and has a sound reminiscent of a different decade. So, if you want to earn brownie points for supporting a talented underground artist, Kursor might be the perfect choice.

This Week's Comeback Schedule

MONDAY, August 19, 2024

• NMIXX: 3rd EP “Fe3O4: STICK OUT”

• TAEMIN (SHINee): 5th Mini Album "ETERNAL"

TUESDAY, August 20, 2024

• ILY:1: 3rd Mini Album "illang:Firework"

WEDNESDAY, August 21, 2024

• Moon Byul (MAMAMOO): 1st Full Album Repackage "Starlit of Twinkle"

• P1Harmony: Japan Album Love & P1ece : The Best of P1Harmony

• YOUNG POSSE: 3rd EP "ATE THAT"

• Gyeongree (Former 9MUSES): 1st EP "Eternal Bloom"

THURSDAY, August 22, 2024

• DRAWINGS: "Like A River Flow"

• Ryu Sujeong (Lovelyz): Digital Single "White Dress"

FRIDAY, August 23, 2024

• BÉBE YANA: Track "ICY ON MY NECK"

— Javeria Yousuf

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