Why Taking Legal Action Against Sasaengs Seems To Take A Long Time, According To An SM Entertainment Lawyer

In June 2023, SM Entertainment launched its fan reporting center, KWANGYA 119. The platform was opened so fans could report various issues surrounding their artists, including defamation and copyright infringement.

The ‘KWANGYA 119′ website, a reporting center for protecting the rights and interests of SM artists, is now live.

You can access ‘KWANGYA 119′ after logging in with your SMTOWN ID and file a report on ‘ARTIST Defamation Report’, ‘Illegal Ticket/Copyright Infringement Report’ and ‘Correction Report & Suggestion’ pages.

— SM Entertainment

One of the lawyers who works with SM Entertainment recently sat down with MC JaeJae to explain what happens when a report is received.

Han Sang Hoon, a lawyer with SHIN & KIM LLC, first explained that the first step in the process involves SM Entertainment’s legal employees filtering out “materials that actually appear to be capable of filing a complaint.”

The staffs take care of everything first. Take a look at everything posted on the site and select out materials that appear to be capable of filing a complaint.

— Han Sang Hoon

The lawyer then explains that after they receive these cases, a team of about ten select cases where legal action can be taken and cross-check data. This consists of investigating the nature of the crime, the possibility of apprehending the criminal, and the possibility of cooperation from relevant organizations.

He admits this is a long process that “takes tons of time.”

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After this process, the complaints are handed off to the police. Han Sang Hoon also shares that cases reported on by media or have an increased risk to the artist are usually processed much quicker.

He also shared that there are times when police investigators do not receive complaints and must be convinced that legal action is necessary.

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Han Sang Hoon says the initial investigation takes around three months on average. Then, the police investigation takes about three months, meaning from the reporting time, it could take more than half a year for any action to be taken.

According to the lawyer, the anonymous nature of the internet can add even more time to a case’s investigation.

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After involvement from the artist affected, the prosecutor reviews the case again and does their investigation before it is handed off to the court.

He sums it up by saying that while writing a malicious comment only takes a few seconds, correcting the damage that occurs after “really takes a lot of time.”

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You can check out the full video below.