"No Mercy" Declared on Cyber Bullies by Ailee, Kang Min Kyung, and JYJ

Harmful gossip, photoshopped or illegally obtained pictures, and the disruption of privacy have been harassing celebrities for decades. Today's celebrities, however, have essentially declared war on such cyber bullying.

Ailee recently was caught up in a scandal in which her nude photos were leaked online. She and her entertainment company has gone as far as hiring a lawyer in the United States to catch the perpetrator and bring them to justice. The photos were explained to be from her audition for a high-end lingerie company, which was ultimately discovered to be a scam.

Davichi's Kang Min Kyung was also caught up in a scandal when a photo of her and a man surfaced online with the title, "Kang Min Kyung and Her Sponsor." "Sponsor" is a term for a person who grants money and opportunity in exchange for sexual favors. The photos were discovered to be photoshopped, and her company has officially sued the young people who perpetrated the rumor. Their explained their stance, saying , "It's not okay to do what they did, and it's not okay for us to simply forgive them. They need to be punished for what they did, and hopefully that punishment will deter others from doing the same thing."

Seoul police took in two people in custody for posting Kang Min Kyung's photo online and face prosecution.

JYJ is also moving to the offense. They have had a more lax stance against the hatred of their anti-fans who accused them of selfish motives when they opted to leave TVXQ, but they have decided that they will no longer idly wait for the rumor to die down.

C-Jes Entertainment explained their stance, saying, "Some people come to our company to apologize after they've been arrested, but we tend not to drop the case, even in the case of minors. They need to learn to treat celebrities with respect, like they would anyone else. We are not going to negotiate or forgive harmful gossip and rumors any longer."

They are not alone on that stance. Stars such as Baek Ji Young, IU, and Suzy are all going on the offensive to combat the rumors. Star actresses Song Hye Kyo and Lee Young Ae already have prosecuted those who spread nasty rumors about them.

This is a different trend, to be sure. Korean celebrity culture was that of tolerance against the curses, hatred, rumors, and false photos. Many celebrities did not want to appear vindictive and merciless to the public, so they went the way of silently dismissing the rumors.

However, tolerating these rumors and photos are getting more and more difficult to do as information becomes more and more readily available. A rumor started in the morning can become that evening's news, so a more harsh way of shutting down rumors needed to be in place.

What about the public and the fans? Would they tolerate their favorite stars mercilessly prosecuting people for some rumors? Surprisingly, yes. Although it was initially thought to be an unfair display of power by the celebrities, the general public now understands both the need for such harsh prosecution and the right of the celebrity to have a private, unexposed life. Expect many other stars to follow suit.

Photo credit: OSEN

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Ailee
Davichi
Kang Min Kyung
JYJ
TVXQ
C-JeS Entertainment
Baek Ji Young
IU
Suzy
Song Hye Kyo
Lee Young Ae
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