In recent months, several online users who repeatedly posted harmful content targeting NewJeans have been ordered to pay fines by South Korean courts.
In October 2025, the Busan District Prosecutor’s Office issued a summary indictment against a woman identified as A, seeking a fine of 700,000 Korean won (about $500) on charges of insulting.
According to reports, A has been accused of maliciously editing photos of NewJeans members and spreading false information on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The court’s final ruling on this case has not yet been confirmed.
In a separate case, the Western Branch of the Daegu District Court issued a summary order imposing a fine of 200,000 Korean won (about $140) against a man identified as B, who continuously posted malicious comments against NewJeans members on the online community FMKorea during the same period. allkpop.
Furthermore, in November 2025, a man in his 20s was fined 15 million Korean won (about $10,300) by the Pohang Branch of Daegu District Court for creating and distributing fake videos using deepfake technology, as per Chosun.
The defendant superimposed the faces of NewJeans members Hae-rin, Ha-ni, and Min-ji onto inappropriate content and distributed the material through a Telegram chat room with over 200 participants. The court ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual assault treatment program.
These lawsuits reflect growing efforts by NewJeans’ agency ADOR and the group’s fans to combat online harassment. The NewJeans Team Bunnies fandom announced in 2024 that it would pursue criminal charges against individuals involved in defamation, spreading false information, and malicious attacks.
Following these third-party complaints between September and December, approximately 44 people accused of posting harmful comments on NewJeans were referred to prosecutors without detention.
In 2024, Team Bunnies also developed an AI system designed to monitor and identify harmful comments aimed at the group, amplifying the fandom’s enforcement efforts.
Legal experts note that fandoms taking proactive roles in filing complaints against malicious commenters have become increasingly common in South Korea’s entertainment industry. According to attorney Kim Taeyeon of the Taeyeon Law Office, “In the past, protecting artists was widely regarded as the sole responsibility of their agencies, but recently fandoms have become more proactive in filing complaints,” mk reported
ADOR said it conducts continuous monitoring of domestic and international online communities, music sites and social media channels, taking rigorous legal action against all forms of rights violations targeting NewJeans members without exception.
