HYBE and its label Pledis Entertainment are moving to identify an anonymous social media user accused of posting thousands of malicious messages about TWS member HANJIN, with plans to pursue legal action once the information is in hand.
According to SeoulWire, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California recently granted a discovery application from HYBE, Pledis and HANJIN. The decision clears the way for the companies to obtain user data tied to three anonymous accounts―two on X and one on YouTube.
HANJIN’s legal team says the user has posted more than 2,000 items since early this year, including false rumors, defamatory statements and slurs mocking the 19-year-old Chinese idol’s race and nationality.
The petition was brought under 28 U.S.C. § 1782, a statute that allows parties to gather evidence in the United States for use in foreign legal proceedings. The information is expected to support lawsuits being prepared in South Korea.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)