On March 21st, an article was posted online defaming actor Yoo Yeon Seok. After it became a hot topic, an apology was issued by the writer of the article but the apology article turned out to be fake, written by someone else.
The person who is the publisher of the real article appeared and claimed that the apology was false, causing confusion. In the end, King Kong by Starship, Yoo Yeon Seok’s agency, said, “We plan to continue legal action against the first post publisher,” signaling a tough response without leniency.
On March 21st, an article was posted on an online community titled “Actor Yoo Yeon Seok’s personality must be known by every person.”
Writer A claimed that his father, who worked as a security guard in the apartment where Yoo Yeon Seok lived, was pointed at and insulted by Yoo Yeon Seok, so he quit his job out of contempt. In the article in question, A said, “When my father asked, ‘Is the bicycle in front of here yours?’ Yoo Yeon Seok pointed his finger and said, ‘Am I riding such a poor bicycle? He laughed at him, saying, ‘That’s mine?’”
King Kong by Starship said on March 22nd, “The article is groundless and we will legally respond by appointing a lawyer.“
When this was reported through the media, an article was posted saying that it was out of jealousy as Yoo Yeon Seok recently appeared on many entertainment programs and gained popularity. “I didn’t know things would get this big. I’m sorry for actor Yoo Yeon Seok. “I won’t delete the original article”. The discloser seemed to want to end it in a hurry.
But the apology in question was a false post. A, who wrote the first article, said, “I don’t know if the writer is a fan of Yoo Yeon Seok, but I didn’t write the apology. I only told what I heard from my father. I complained because I was annoyed and frustrated, but I didn’t know that it would be this big if I mentioned the real name of the celebrity. Honestly, it’s a little scary. I hope things don’t get bigger than this.”
In response, the writer of the false apology said, “I wrote because I thought Yoo Yeon Seok would have an image of power abuse. I know it’s wrong to impersonate A, but people are not interested in the truth,” they said, asking the writer A to “reveal it with evidence if it’s true.”
The incident raised an alarm in the entertainment industry in that the revelations behind anonymity could easily be overturned by false apologies. Although the authenticity of the initial revelation has not been confirmed, it can manipulate public opinion if someone decides to write a false article.
King Kong By Starship reacted sensitively to the case and said, “We will take all the strong measures we can, such as appointing a lawyer and filing a criminal complaint to prevent easy public opinion manipulation.”
An official said, “Yoo Yeon Seok lived in an officetel-type residence, not an apartment five to six years ago. Since he is a celebrity, he greeted the security guards very well,” adding, “He’s received a bicycle as a gift but he’s never ridden it.”
The agency said, “There is no content that corresponds to the original article written by the first writer and the fact,” adding, “We cannot confirm whether the first writer and the false apology writer are the same or different.”
King Kong by Starship plans to continue the complaint against the original author. An official said, “If false information is posted through the judgment of the law, more precedents will be punished to reduce indiscriminate exposure or slander toward celebrities.”
Source:(A)
