YouTuber A, operator of 'Taldok Prison', is on trial for defamation and faces 4 years in prison for spreading false information.

The operator A of 'Taldok Prison' (a term for YouTubers who handle gossip and aim for views and profits) has belatedly shown remorse. Today (23rd), at the Incheon District Court's Criminal Division 11, a final trial was held against A, who was indicted on charges of violating the law on promoting the use of information and communication networks and information protection (defamation), and insult. On this day, the court sought a 4-year prison sentence and a fine of 211,420,000 won (approximately 23.26 million yen) against Taldok Prison, which produced videos containing false information about EXO's Suho and aespa's Karina, gaining economic benefits. The defense attorney for Taldok Prison acknowledged all charges, claiming 'unintentional intent', and revealed efforts to reach an agreement with the victims, but stated that no agreement has been reached yet. A, who appeared in court with his face covered by a hat and mask, expressed, 'I am sorry for having hurt the victims severely,' claiming he has thought pessimistically due to guilt. This is contrary to his attitude taken in a previous trial. The court pointed out that A, who showed no signs of remorse, needed to be strictly punished for defamation, as it could cause irreparable damage to celebrities and their agencies by posting provocative content for economic gain. The court noted that the defendant has not provided a convincing explanation, has not shown a remorseful attitude, has not been forgiven by the victims, and has not taken measures to restore the damage. The sentencing trial is scheduled for December 18. Prior to this, Taldok Prison was sued by artists from other agencies before being reported to SM in April. Taldok Prison is estimated to have earned a total revenue of 250 million won (approximately 27.5 million yen) by producing defamatory videos about multiple celebrities from October 2021 to June 2023. BTS's V and Jungkook filed a lawsuit for damages amounting to 90 million won (approximately 9.9 million yen) against Taldok Prison through their legal representatives in March. Kang Daniel is also in a dispute with Taldok Prison. On September 11, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 18 imposed a fine of 10 million won (approximately 1.1 million yen) on Taldok Prison for uploading false videos defaming Kang Daniel on its channel in 2022. Kang Daniel has expressed his intention to file a civil lawsuit for 100 million won (approximately 11 million yen) separately from the criminal proceedings. The first to respond to Taldok Prison was STARSHIP Entertainment, to which IVE's Wonyoung belongs. STARSHIP has been pursuing civil and criminal lawsuits against Taldok Prison since November 2022, including lawsuits overseas. In May last year, they received an information provision order from a U.S. court and obtained meaningful information about the operator of Taldok Prison from Google headquarters in July last year. In January this year, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Wonyoung in part in a 100 million won damage claim lawsuit against Taldok Prison. Taldok Prison appealed the first-instance ruling and applied for a stay of enforcement. In response, the court made a decision for mediation, but both parties did not reach an agreement.