Under Article 21 of the South кσяєαn Constitution, all citizens have the right to freedom of speech, press, αѕѕembly, and αѕѕociation — and are protected from prior censorship (except in cases where the law is violated, such as matters of national security or defamation of others).

In principle, South кσяєα is a free democracy, similar to the United States, fяαи¢є, or נαραи — citizens have the right to speak, write, and criticize the government or public figures.

However, this does not mean one can spread false information or severely insult celebrities. Every statement carries legal and ethical responsibility. If words or posts harm the reputation or mental well-being of others, the speaker can be sued or face criminal or civil penalties.

Recently, this issue has drawn significant attention, with President Lee Jae Myung and authorities discussing it at the Central-Local Cooperation Conference held on the 12th at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, the first such meeting since his inauguration.

Aiming to “continue cooperation between the central government and local authorities to improve citizens’ lives and create a brighter future for South кσяєα,” President Lee told ρσℓι¢є and civil officials that hostile language and false information spreading on social media must be treated as “crimes exceeding the limits of free speech” and punished severely as “a threat to democracy.”

Specifically, he stated: “On social media platforms, hateful expressions targeting specific individuals or groups are being spread indiscriminately, and false or manipulated information is flooding online spaces. We can no longer turn a blind eye to this. These actions clearly go beyond the boundaries of freedom of expression"

President Lee called such behavior “crimes that must be eradicated” and issued a firm warning: “We must swiftly establish punishment measures for hate speech, fundamentally block the spread of false or fabricated information, and enforce strict penalties against those responsible. In this regard, the role of the ρσℓι¢є is particularly important. Please pay close attention and handle this matter thoroughly. I also urge political leaders to join our efforts in eradicating hate crimes and the spread of false, fabricated information."

The president’s strong statement has been widely shared across South кσяєαn and international online communities. Among them, ARMYs have expressed strong support, noting that the government’s firm stance is a positive step, especially in a context where BTS members have frequently been targets of hostile forces both domestically and internationally since their return from military service.

A recent notable case involved a group of online defamers who used images of Jungkook, added AI edits, and falsely claimed that he had dated at least four women and brought them to his private home in 2023. These defamatory acts seriously damaged his reputation and triggered waves of harsh criticism and insults directed at him, despite the fact that he did nothing wrong.

With President Lee’s recent statement, authorities are expected to take even stronger action against online defamers targeting celebrities like Jungkook. They also emphasized that those who previously spread false information or defamed him ultimately did not escape legal consequences.

Over the years, Jungkook and Big Hit Music have won numerous lawsuits against individuals who spread false information that harmed him. Even defamers located overseas have not been able to evade legal punishment.

Most recently, Park Joo Ah, operator of the YouTube channel Sojang, who previously posted false rumors defaming seven idols including V and Jungkook, was sentenced to two years in prison and three years probation, with a fine of 210 million KRW. She is also expected to pay damages amounting to USD 67,000 (90 million KRW) to the two BTS members and Big Hit Music for the losses she caused in the past.

On social media, fans are actively discussing this encouraging news:

- Jungkook antis have fun now, worry later... You messed with the wrong Artist. You stoop so low and u will never getaway with it. Just watch.

- Guys let's report these cases and send to HYBE too. Every report we file is evidence — those defamers will be behind bars sooner or later

- I hope they get the full force of the law including getting a hefty fine and then jail time on top for quiet some time hope you Antis get what's comimg to you deserve it after what you've done.

- jungkook deserves the biggest apology from antis, solos, shippers and every single person who is using him as a gotcha moment and violating his privacy. i hope the karma gets so nasty this time.

- About time these defamers get kicked out of society

- Better watch your mouth, or the law will catch up with you

- Justice is coming for those spreading lies about our idols. No more free pαѕѕes — they need to face the consequences

- Say what you want about BTS, but karma and the law won’t let you get away