Last week, Korean pop star Rain was the subject of a new nude photo scandal, and the singer is reportedly taking the matter very seriously.

The photo in question is a fake, according to both Rain and his record label CUBE DC, and the persons responsible for sharing it online are now the subjects of a lawsuit brought on by the singer.

Rain, whose real name is Jung Ji Hoon, has reportedly filed charges against the person allegedly responsible for the original image as well as up to 30 others said to have further spread the image online.

Kim Nam Heung, the attorney representing Rain in the proceedings, was interviewed by Korean television media Section TV regarding the matter for the November 16 broadcast in a segment titled Rain Taking Legal Action.

"On November 13, through Rain's agency, we became aware of the vicious rumors spreading on the internet and verified that they were all false," said Kim. "We came to the conclusion that the rumors we all ill-natured and filed charges of Distribution of Falsehood and Defamation of Character."

"Including the original leaker, an additional 20 to 30 individuals were charged and sued," the attorney added.

"We plan to take strong legal action and will decide the severity of the punishments after observing the whole situation and lawsuit as it proceeds," explained Kim who also said that those charged may face a maximum sentence of seven years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won (or roughly $45,500 USD) if the accused are found to have distributed the photo in an attempt slander the pop star.

Last week, it was rumored that Rain's girlfriend, actress Kim Tae Hee, had lost her cell phone and that a naked image of the singer had been found within its contents. The photo quickly spread though online fan cafes and the popular Korean messaging app Kakao Talk.