"IU is a Spy, Main Character of Daejang-dong" Absurd Leaflet Emerges

Singer and actress IU is at the center of controversy after leaflets containing absurd claims that she is a North Korean spy and the main figure behind the Daejang-dong corruption scandal were distributed.

Flyer containing absurd claims about IU [Image source=Online community Ppomppu]

On the 21st, posts titled "IU Jjirashi" appeared on various online communities such as 'Ppomppu.' These posts included several photos of the leaflets (jjirashi), which contained not just simple slanders against IU but also baseless claims lacking any causal relationship.

The leaflet, presumed to have been slipped into the window of a car parked in an underground parking lot recently, prominently displays the phrase "She was the main figure of Daejang-dong" as if it were a headline. It also includes phrases such as "South Korea wiretapping and hidden camera," "North Korean pleasure squad," and "North Korean bird," followed by sentences and photos haphazardly edited together, including "Top-level spy IU," "Celebrities disguised as cultural industry agents working for North Korea," "I was also victimized by IU Lee Ji-eun," and "IU concert fancam video of a water bottle hitting." The leaflet further claims that former President Moon Jae-in and IU are on the "same team" and labels them as "top-level spies."

This is not the first time leaflets containing false claims about IU have been found.

Singer and actress IU [Image source=Yonhap News]

Another document circulated recently contained similar content to the leaflet discovered this time. The author of that document claimed, "IU is a top-level North Korean spy," "North Korean cultural industry celebrity IU, South Korea where you die if you don’t obey," and "Lee Ji-eun = Lee Ji-geum = North Korean spy game." Additionally, in 2021, a netizen spread a rumor on internet communities that "IU had been involved in forming a criminal organization and hacking incidents for over three years."

IU has continuously taken legal action against those spreading false information. Last December, IU’s agency, EDAM Entertainment, announced that a malicious commenter who had long attacked IU was fined 3 million won on charges of defamation and insult.

At that time, the agency stated, "If the same crime occurs again after this ruling, we will continue to take strong legal action under a zero-tolerance policy," and added, "We have no plans to settle or show leniency in order to protect our artist," expressing a firm stance.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.