HYBE Loses Damages Suit Against "I-LIT Defamation" Cyber Lecca

Filed 280 Million Won Damages Suit for Spreading False Information

Court: "Claim Dismissed, Plaintiffs to Bear All Legal Costs"

HYBE, the agency of girl group I-LIT, has lost a damages suit it filed against the operator of a so-called "cyber lecca" YouTube channel—referring to channels that create cut-and-paste content on controversial incidents for profit.

Girl group Aileet. Yonhap News Agency

On May 8, Judge Lee Gwan-hyung of the Seoul Western District Court, Civil Division 12, dismissed the damages claim filed by HYBE, its affiliated label Belift Lab, and the five members of I-LIT against content production company Fastview. The court also ordered HYBE and the other plaintiffs to cover the entire cost of the lawsuit.

In 2024, HYBE filed a damages suit worth 280 million won against seven issue-focused YouTube channels, claiming that these channels spread false information about I-LIT and defamed both the artists and the agency. The members of I-LIT and their label Belift Lab also joined the lawsuit.

The YouTube channels 'People Box' and 'Dissue', operated by Fastview, claimed that I-LIT had copied other artists, or that a member of I-LIT mentioned a specific food with the intention of disparaging another artist.

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