South Korean YouTuber Sojang, whose unsubstantiated claims and video reporting stirred up much controversy, has finally been sentenced to prison. The YouTuber received over two years of prison sentencing after seven Korean celebrities filed defamation cases against her. The court has further asked her to pay a hefty fine as a part of her punishment.

What Happened to YouTuber Sojang? The Defamation Case Filed by BTS V, Jungkook & Others Explained

BTS V, Jungkook, Wonyoung, EXO Suho, and Kang Daniel were some celebrities who sued YouTuber Sojang. The defamation cases were filed against the YouTuber who had reportedly made over 23 videos from 2021 to 2023, creating false rumors and earning YouTube revenues.

IVE star Wonyoung was one of the victims of Sojang’s rumors. The K-pop star’s name was used in several videos with unsubstantiated claims. BTS V, Jungkook, Suho, and other celebrities were also mentioned in Sojang’s videos. While she never provided proof of her claims, her YouTube channel continued to garner views. Only after several cases were filed YouTube took down Sojang’s channel.

As per the prosecution’s findings, Sojang earned a revenue of 250 million Korean (1,71,343.78 USD) won from this channel in two years since June 2021. While handing out her sentencing, Judge Kim reportedly mentioned: “The defendant repeatedly slandered famous celebrities and uploaded provocative content on her YouTube channel, making considerable profits. So, her guilt is grave.”

Sojang’s Prison Sentence

As per reports, Sojang has been sentenced to two years of prison, three years of probation, a fine of 210 million won ($143,720), and 120 hours of community service. Meanwhile, the YouTuber has already paid 20.0 million Korean won (about 13,700 USD) to Wonyoung for the damages she caused. She also paid the other victims 60.0 million Korean won (about 41,100 USD).

Sojang’s case became a crucial moment in recent K-pop history as it was challenging to find the owner of the YouTube channel. IVE Wonyoung’s lawyers explained how they filed a formal complaint against the infamous YouTuber. The lawyers filed an appeal at the US court to get the identity of the YouTuber through Google. Only after the case was heard did they find Sojang’s real identity and formally lodge a complaint in South Korea.

The lawyers said: “Malicious comments insulting celebrities and fake news are being created and reproduced a lot these days, not only causing disruptions to the company’s operations but pushing the fans to protest seriously…When the incident reached a critical point, identifying the culprit and making an announcement relieved fans who must have thought, ‘So all that while, they did take some action.”

IVE’s entertainment company, Starship spent extensive resources on the case which helped other entertainment companies come forward and file separate cases. At one point, Starship Entertainment’s lawyers managed three civil cases and one criminal case domestically while also keeping up with a lawsuit in the US. Ultimately, the channel was taken down, and a proper hearing brought justice to the case.