IVE's Jang Wonyoung Defamer Gets Prison Time, and Starship Isn't Done Yet

A South Korean court sentenced the person who distributed false videos targeting IVE's Jang Wonyoung to prison, no suspension, and Starship Entertainment used the same day to file another round of charges.

Starship announced the verdict on the 9th through IVE's official social media accounts, confirming that the defendant, prosecuted for spreading fabricated video content about Jang Wonyoung, had received a custodial sentence. The agency has been handling the case through law firm Kim & Chang.

The agency's zero-tolerance line

"We responded firmly throughout the investigation and trial," Starship said in the statement, "and we will continue to hold those responsible to the fullest legal extent, without exception, for any serious violations of our artists' rights."

Starship said it has maintained ongoing monitoring of online platforms for defamation, sexual harassment, malicious slander, and the production and distribution of false video content targeting its artists.

On the 9th specifically, the label filed additional complaints against what it described as "cyber wreckers", accounts and channels that repeatedly publish and amplify harmful content about Jang Wonyoung rather than just creating it once. That distinction matters: Starship is going after the spreaders, not only the original poster.

"We will continue monitoring accounts and channels that repeatedly post and distribute malicious content," the statement read, "and will take all necessary civil and criminal measures." The agency added that it would pursue legal action regardless of whether perpetrators use anonymous accounts, aliases, or overseas platforms.

The prison sentence is a notable outcome. South Korean courts frequently issue suspended sentences in online harassment and defamation cases, so an actual term of imprisonment signals that the court treated the false video distribution as a serious offense. Whether it deters the wider ecosystem of smear accounts Starship is now targeting is the real test, and the label appears to be betting that sustained legal pressure is the only way to find out.