NewJeans wins 100M KRW cyber harassment lawsuit against youtuber as the final ruling stands

On August 11, 2025, South Korean media outlet Sisa Journal reported that NewJeans had won a 100 million KRW damages case against a YouTuber accused of cyber harassment. The Seoul Western District Court ruled in favor of the group on June 25.

It ordered the defendant, identified as Shin, to pay 5 million KRW each to Minji, Hanni, and Danielle, and 7 million KRW each to Haerin and Hyein. The higher amount for Haerin and Hyein reflected the fact that they were minors at the time of the incidents. The ruling became final on July 22 when Shin did not file an appeal.

In the ruling, Judge Lee stated that it was clear that se*ual expressions caused mental distress. According to the report by Sisa Journal, the judge said,

"It is clear from experience that a person whose personality rights have been violated by the other party's se*ual expressions suffers mental anguish. The New Jeans members' personality rights were violated, and they are liable for damages resulting from this."

The case was centered on a series of more than 20 videos uploaded between April and May 2024. Shin operated two YouTube channels. The accused allegedly used footage from NewJeans’ performances and original content to create se*u*lized edits. Lyrics were altered, like changing “Cookie” to “thickness” and “greet brightly” to a crude term.

The camera angles were also altered to suggest inappropriate acts. Shin also posted comments containing explicit remarks about the members.

In June 2024, the members filed a civil claim seeking 20 million KRW per person, which totalled 100 million KRW. Their legal team pursued the case for over a year and used court orders in the United States to obtain Shin’s identity from Google.

Background on the case and other disputes involving NewJeans

The lawsuit against Shin is one of the more prominent victories in addressing “cyber wreckers.” They are online figures who target celebrities for views or profit. These cases have been difficult to prosecute due to the anonymity of the perpetrators.

The breakthrough came after IVE’s Jang Wonyoung successfully won a lawsuit to another infamous YouTuber through a U.S. court order to Google. NewJeans’ legal team used the same process to track Shin and bring him to court.

In other news, NewJeans is also currently involved in a high-profile dispute with their agency, ADOR, and its parent company, HYBE. The conflict began in late 2024 when the members accused the label of mistreatment, lack of support, and breaches of trust.

After former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin’s dismissal, NewJeans announced in November 2024 that they would work independently. ADOR responded with an injunction to block their activities, and in March 2025, the court ruled in ADOR’s favor, barring the group from performing or signing under a new name and imposing heavy penalties for violations. The members are appealing, with a closed-door mediation set for August 14, 2025.

NewJeans and ADOR dispute (Image via X/@NewJeans_ADOR)

Meanwhile, ADOR has recently removed all group-related content from its official website. This further leaves the future of the group uncertain.

About the author

Mantasha is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda who covers K-pop and K-drama. She has recently completed her Masters in English and has a rich 3-year writing experience where she crafted engaging content for top companies such as Unacademy, Apollo Hospitals, Adani Airports, and the Economic Times. Her experience has helped her create a strong foundation that complements her passion for creating the best content related to K-pop, K-dramas and Korean movies.

Mantasha's interest in pop culture took root when her cousin introduced her to classic Hollywood and Bollywood tunes and the rest, as they say, is history. Mantasha’s connection with K-pop supergroup BTS is a special one as their song lyrics, hard work, and dedication resonate with her like no other group does.

Maintaining accuracy, relevance, and ethics in her reporting is extremely essential for Mantasha. She prioritizes thorough research, delving deep beyond just superficial sources, to ensure comprehensive and trustworthy information.

When not writing, Mantasha enjoys journaling and doodling, watching K-dramas and listening to songs.

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Edited by Divya Singh