On April 10, the New York Times reported that NewJeans' agency ADOR reached out to the US Federal Court to seek aid in uncovering the identity of a YouTuber who goes by @Middle7. The YouTube account allegedly released significant content about NewJeans while reportedly making defamatory statements about them.
These videos either allegedly mocked the members or intended to create significant reputational damage to them. The content also garnered a lot of attention, gathering up to 13 million views in total. Following the incident, the group's agency filed a criminal complaint against the YouTuber through Seoul Police Station. However, since the YouTuber's account is anonymous, the case couldn't proceed further.
Therefore, the agency, along with the help of the group's legal representative, Eugene Kim, has reached out to the US Federate Court in California to ask Google to unveil the identity of the YouTuber. If they could get the person's identity, ADOR would be able to sue the YouTuber for defamation and insult, which stand as crimes in South Korea.
ADOR Agency seeks US Federal Court aid to identify YouTuber for allegedly spreading defamatory statements about NewJeans
Recently, the YouTube account @Middle7 has been garnering a lot of attention from NewJeans' fans for its content centering around the members. The YouTuber has allegedly been creating several YouTube shorts and videos that mock the members and insult them. These videos have also been gaining a lot of views and are also going viral on the internet.
The agency has been taking measures to stop the content and hold the YouTuber accountable for their actions to avoid damage to NewJeans' public image. As per the reports, the agency initially filed a complaint to the Seoul Police Station regarding the YouTubers' actions, however, the case wasn't accepted or proceeded with since the account was anonymous and the case couldn't be filed on a specific person.
The next step was taken by the group's legal representative, Eugene Kim, who reached out to Google directly, asking them if they could reveal the YouTuber's identity for a lawsuit. However, they were rejected, which led to Eugene Kim and the ADOR Agency collectively seeking aid from the US Federate Court. While the news reached the internet only recently, the filing regarding the request for identity reveal was made on March 27 through the California court.
If the court rules in favor of the group or the agency, then they will be able to proceed with a proper lawsuit. ADOR Agency can sue the YouTuber on the grounds of defamation and insult as they stand as criminal offenses in South Korea, and the lawsuit can proceed regardless of the YouTuber's nationality.
However, given that the videos and reels created by them are Korean, the chances of the YouTuber being Korean are high, thereby increasing the chances of a lawsuit. Regardless, the proceedings of the lawsuit heavily depend on whether or not they'll be able to gain the identity of the YouTuber, @Middle7.
Additionally, it was also revealed that the YouTuber has not only made content degrading NewJeans but also other groups including BLACKPINK, IVE, LESSERAFIM, etc.
In other news, the HYBE K-pop girl group, NewJeans, is also gearing up for a comeback slated for release towards the end of May. On May 24, the group will be releasing the track, How Sweet, along with its b-side track, Bubble Gum.
Additionally, the members are also expected to roll out their Japanese debut, Supernatural, with its b-side track, Right Now, which is scheduled for release on June 21. For promotions of both releases, the group will hold their first Japanese fan meeting, Bunnies Camp 2024, at the Tokyo Dome on June 26 and 27.
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