The South Korean police have been requested to examine how private photographs of the K-pop singer Jennie Kim ended up online.
It comes after images released on Twitter and Telegram purported to show the Blackpink actress dining with V from BTS.
There have been rumors that the two singers are dating.
The management organization for Blackpink, YG Entertainment, stated that Jennie had been subject to “personal insults” and “sexual harassment” as a result of the leak.
It stated in a statement that it has contacted the police to investigate the “initial distributor” of the photographs and that it would take “all available legal measures without any mercy” to prevent future harm.
It added: “Photographs that spread online were unlawfully distributed, regardless of the motives behind them and without the consent of the individual involved.”
YG also requested that supporters refrain from spreading the images more broadly.
Two accounts involved with the photograph sharing have been suspended.
Even though YG has not confirmed which images it is referring to, several online images seem to show Jennie and V (real name Kim Tae-Hyung) dining together.
One leaker stated that the photographs were originally shared on a private account with the description “You’re my other half” written by either Jennie or V.
Other photographs allegedly depict the couple traveling together and taking selfies while wearing identical Winnie-the-Pooh t-shirts.
One alleged headshot showed Jennie bathing.
In many of the photographs, the faces of the celebrities are partially veiled or blurred, causing some admirers to assume that they are fakes or composites.
Big Hit Music, BTS’s management business, has filed a separate criminal complaint for what it terms defamatory publications containing “fake information” and “ill-intentioned rumors”; however, it did not specify the images of V and Jennie as the reason for its legal action.
One of the alleged leakers, posting under the handle Gurumiharibo, disputed that the entertainment businesses had targeted them.
In an online chat forum, they stated, “I have not gotten any legal notification from anyone.” “If someone sues me for defamation and/or disseminating falsehoods, I will be willing to offer pertinent evidence in the name of the law.”
Recently, South Korean entertainment businesses have taken a harsh stance against leaks and rumors.
The nation’s defamation laws permit persons who make defamatory or harmful comments online to be sued. Even if their words are truthful, they might be found guilty and penalized if it can be proven that they brought another person into disrepute.
Individuals have a legal right to their image under South Korean law, making anyone who posts leaked photographs without authorization liable to prosecution.
Blackpink and BTS are the most successful K-Pop acts of the present generation.
Last month, Blackpink’s album Born Pink topped the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom, while BTS recently declared a break to focus on solo projects.
