The South Korean police have been asked to look into how Jennie Kim, a K-pop star private images got online.
It follows the appearance of the Blackpink star dining with BTS member V in images posted on Twitter and Telegram.
The singer’s romantic relationship has been the subject of rumors.
The management firm for Blackpink, YG Entertainment, claimed that as a result of the leak, Jennie has been the target of “personal insults” and “sexual harassment.”
It stated in a statement that it had requested that the police look into “the initial distributor” of the images and that it would “take all appropriate legal measures without any mercy to prevent any damage in the future.”
Additionally, YG urged supporters not to spread the images further.
Two of the accounts used to share the photos have had their access suspended.
While YG has not specified which images it is alluding to, several pictures that appear to show Jennie and V (real name Kim Tae-Hyung) enjoying a meal together have circulated online.
One leaker asserted that the images were first published on a private account with the caption, “You’re my other half,” written by either Jennie or V.
In other pictures, the couple can be seen allegedly traveling together and taking selfies while wearing matching Winnie-the-Pooh t-shirts.
None of the pictures are graphic, but one headshot supposedly shows Jennie bathing.
Many of the images of the stars have their faces partially hidden or blurry, causing some fans to believe they are composites or fakes.
Although it did not specifically mention the images of V and Jennie as the reason for its legal action, BTS’s management company Big Hit Music has filed a second criminal complaint over what it deems defamatory tweets including “fake information” and “ill-intentioned speculations.”
Recently, South Korean entertainment businesses have begun to take a tough stance against rumors and leaks.
The nation’s defamation laws give people the ability to be sued for making harmful or defamatory comments online. Even if their remarks are truthful, they may still be found guilty and penalized if it can be demonstrated that they caused someone else’s reputation to suffer.
Additionally, South Korean law grants people a legal right to their pictures, which makes anyone who posts stolen images without permission subject to legal action.
