NewJeans Wins Lawsuit Against YouTuber for Sexual Harassment and Defamation

NewJeans has emerged victorious in a legal battle against a YouTuber—commonly referred to as a "cyber lecca"—who sexually harassed the group online.

On June 25, the Seoul Western District Court Civil Division 13 (Judge Lee Ah-young presiding) partially ruled in favor of NewJeans in their KRW 100 million (approx. $72,000 USD) damages lawsuit against YouTuber Shin. The court ordered Shin to pay KRW 5 million (approx. $3,600 USD) each to Minji, Hanni, and Danielle, and KRW 7 million (approx. $5,000 USD) each to Haerin and Hyein. Since Shin did not appeal, the verdict is now final.

Between April and May 2024, YouTuber Shin operated two YouTube channels where he repeatedly sexually harassed NewJeans. He twisted the lyrics of NewJeans' hit song "Cookie" into inappropriate innuendos and used vulgar language to mock the members. He also left comments such as, "I want to make her a mother of many children," directed at the underage members.

In response, NewJeans’ agency ADOR filed a KRW 100 million (approx. $72,000 USD) damages lawsuit against Shin in June last year, seeking KRW 20 million (approx. $14,400 USD) per member.

Meanwhile, in November last year, NewJeans announced the termination of their contract with ADOR, citing a breakdown in trust. In January, ADOR filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of their exclusive contract with the members, as well as injunctions to preserve their status as creators and prevent them from signing new advertising contracts. The Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 50 (Chief Judge Kim Sang-hoon presiding) accepted all of ADOR’s requests. As a result, NewJeans has been unable to pursue independent activities and has suspended all promotions since their appearance at Hong Kong’s FLEXCON.

Photo Credit: Xportsnews

This article is a translated version of the original Korean article published by Xportsnews, originally written by Hwang Suyeon. This article was translated from Korean using AI-assisted tools and human review to deliver an accurate and culturally appropriate version for international readers.