South Korea-based Big Hit Entertainment is suing internet users and has filed complaints with the police over “malicious” posts about K-Pop superstars BTS.
The company, led by CEO Bang Si-Hyuk issued a statement saying that the comments in question “exceed the reasonable and accepted boundaries of expression and personal commentary”.
Big Hit’s statement added that it “regularly initiates legal proceedings against malicious activities related to BTS including ill-intentioned criticism, the spread of groundless information, personal attacks and defamation, following our internal procedures”.
Evidence for these legal proceedings – posts from the first half of the year – were submitted to the police after being collected via Big Hit’s “own monitoring initiatives as well as through the Big Hit hotline” added the statement.
Big Hit also says that police are already investigating the people behind the posts.
“We have responded with zero tolerance against insults and defamation against our artists, and our stance will remain unchanged as long as these acts occur, it continued.
“We emphasize that there is, and will be, no leniency or settlement with the perpetrators of these acts.”
Earlier this month, the Seoul-headquartered company posted record revenues of 200.1bn KRW in the first six months of this year, equivalent to $166.3m at current exchange rates.
BTS are currently on an “extended period of rest and relaxation”, the group’s first official time off from recording and touring since their debut was released by Big Hit in June 2013.Music Business Worldwide
