A South Korean appeals court has sided with virtual idol group PLAVE in a closely watched online harassment case, reaffirming that attacks aimed at the act’s virtual members amount to insults against the real people behind them.
On Nov. 27, the Uijeongbu District Court’s Civil Division 5-3 upheld a lower-court ruling awarding 100,000 won to each of the five performers behind PLAVE in their damages suit against a user identified as B, rejecting the rest of their claim.
PLAVE’s side argued that B repeatedly posted profanity-laced, derogatory comments and videos on X targeting both the group and the real individuals behind the characters, infringing on their personality rights.
The panel found that mocking the performers’ looks and belittling their “real selves” constituted insults directed at actual people, ordering B to pay each member 100,000 won each―a total of 500,000 won.
Even so, the award is far smaller than what PLAVE initially sought: 6.5 million won per member, for a total of roughly 32 million won. The group’s legal representative said they plan to appeal to the Supreme Court.
B countered that PLAVE are merely virtual characters and, because the performers’ identities aren’t publicly disclosed, the comments lacked specificity―arguments the court rejected. During the proceedings, B also moved to limit public access to certain court records.
PLAVE, a five-member virtual idol act that debuted in March 2023, has built a passionate fanbase, headlining shows at Seoul’s KSPO Dome and Gocheok Sky Dome and taking their tour to venues in and outside Korea.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)