BTS are standing at one of the most critical moments in their career as they prepare to return as a full group after a three-year hiatus due to mandatory military service. Their comeback is not only significant for the group and their fandom, but is also expected to reshape the landscape of the entire K-pop industry. Naturally, the return of the “kings” of K-pop has become a focal point of global discussion, especially over the past several months.

While the majority of the public has expressed excitement and anticipation for the grand comeback of K-pop’s top superstars, a segment of toxic netizens has continued to relentlessly target the idols during this sensitive period. Over the past six months since the BTS members were discharged from the military, even in the absence of individual music activities, the members have been subjected to severe defamation and malicious attacks across social media platforms.

The most serious case involves Jungkook, who has not only faced malicious rumors online but has also been subjected to physical intrusions at his private residence. In just half a year, Jungkook and his legal representatives filed complaints against three sasaeng fans who illegally trespαѕѕed into his home, including one individual who managed to enter the garage of his villa.

Over the past few months, he has also repeatedly become a target of online criticism, facing character-αѕѕαѕѕination campaigns carried out by anonymous accounts and coordinated smear efforts. These attacks stemmed from a rumored romantic relationship inferred from unverified and speculative “evidence.” Some individuals posing as fans even went so far as to send protest trucks to HYBE’s headquarters, demanding that Jungkook be removed from plans for next year’s album release and world tour, or even calling for him to leave the group entirely.

In response to the escalating attacks faced by Jungkook and the other BTS members, Big Hit Music, as the group’s management agency, has taken firm legal action to protect its artists. On the 29th of this month, the company released a statement saying: “In this fourth quarter, we have initiated legal action against the authors of malicious posts about our artists, identified through fan reports and our monitoring of domestic online communities and international social media channels.”

The company also expressed a zero-tolerance stance toward offenders, stating: “We maintain a policy of taking legal action without compromise or leniency against malicious acts, such as defaming or using insulting expressions toward our artists, generating or spreading rumors based on false information, and manipulating or distributing false information using AI. As part of these efforts, we would like to inform you that a fine has been imposed on an individual who posted insulting content about our artists on an online community. We will do our utmost to ensure that criminal punishment is imposed on cases still under investigation.”

Big Hit Music further addressed cases involving invasions of privacy at artists’ residences: “Meanwhile, there have been repeated incidents of serious violations near artists’ residences, including illegal activities, attempts to approach the residences, and stalking. We report these cases to the ρσℓι¢є as soon as they are confirmed and actively cooperate by providing the necessary materials for the investigations. The prosecution has requested summary orders for some of these incidents.”

Finally, the company reαѕѕured fans by stating: “We will continue to respond to any acts that threaten our artists’ privacy and safety with the highest level of strictness,” and “We will continue to strengthen protective measures and take further initiatives to safeguard our artists.”

Big Hit Music’s latest statement has helped reαѕѕure fans that the artists are receiving protection from malicious individuals, especially as the group’s long-awaited comeback draws closer. While these measures cannot completely eliminate all potential threats faced by BTS, they do help mitigate the damage and serve as a direct warning to those who may intend to harm the artists in the future.

In the past, кσяєαn entertainment companies rarely took proactive legal action to protect individual artists, particularly before 2015. However, as crimes targeting idols have increased in both frequency and severity, many major entertainment companies—including Big Hit Music—have placed greater emphasis on protecting their artists through legal means. For many years now, Big Hit Music has consistently conducted investigations and filed lawsuits on a quarterly basis to punish individuals who harαѕѕ, invade privacy, or damage the reputations of their artists, especially BTS.

Meanwhile, fans continue to encourage one another to gather evidence and report those who persist in spreading malicious rumors and defamation against BTS to Big Hit Music. These attacks are not isolated incidents carried out by a single individual, but rather organized and ongoing efforts. As a result, even when some perpetrators face legal consequences, others may continue targeting the artists. What remains constant, however, is that ARMYs never stop striving to be a shield that protects BTS.