A YouTuber was ordered to pay 1.7 billion won for defaming SM Entertainment artists, including aespa and EXO, through malicious videos.
April/29/2026 12:28
The operator A of the YouTube channel 'Tardok (De-Otaku) Detention Center' received a judgment ordering him to pay 170 million won (about 18.4 million yen) in damages for defamation against artists belonging to SM Entertainment. From October 2021 to June last year, A produced malicious videos targeting celebrities such as IVE's Wonyoung, BTS members, and Kang Daniel, and faced multiple lawsuits for defamation and insult. In this context, the results of the trial regarding defamation against SM Entertainment artists like aespa, EXO, and Red Velvet were announced. On April 22, the 14th Civil Division of the Seoul District Court ruled that the operator of the 'Tardok Detention Center' channel produced and posted videos containing expressions that harmed the personality of aespa, EXO, and Red Velvet, violating their personality rights, and ordered a total of 130 million won (about 14.05 million yen) in damages to each plaintiff. Additionally, the court stated that the videos produced and posted by the defendant had a direct impact on public perception of the plaintiff singers, leading to a decline in their image and brand value, which are core assets of the plaintiff company, SM Entertainment, and thus recognized that the defendant's actions substantially hindered the plaintiff company's business operations, ordering an additional 40 million won (about 4.32 million yen) in damages. This resulted in a total damages judgment of 170 million won. SM filed a lawsuit against the channel operator in April 2024 for violations of laws regarding the promotion of information and communication networks and information protection (defamation), insult, and other charges against aespa, EXO, and Red Velvet. The operator of the 'Tardok Detention Center' channel was sentenced on January 15, 2025, by the Incheon District Court to 2 years in prison, 3 years of probation, 120 hours of community service, and an additional 211.42 million won (about 22.86 million yen) in restitution, which was confirmed after appeals. The court stated, 'The defendant disseminated false facts about the plaintiff singers through the 'Tardok Detention Center' channel, producing and posting videos that included personal attacks or derogatory expressions, openly insulting the plaintiff singers. This significantly exceeded the scope of mere opinion expression and constituted a serious violation of the plaintiffs' honor and personality rights.' SM stated, 'To protect our artists in the future, we will continue to take strong legal action against various illegal acts and crimes, as well as the use of insulting and derogatory expressions, and the dissemination of false facts by YouTube channels that repeatedly infringe on personality rights.'
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