IVE's Jang Won-young takes zero-tolerance stance on malicious rumors, teams up again with law firm behind 'Taldeok' case

Starship Entertainment, the agency of girl group IVE, says it will continue pursuing legal action against malicious rumors targeting member Jang Won-young.

The agency issued an official statement Tuesday saying it "is taking aggressive legal action with zero tolerance against various malicious acts that violate the honor and personal rights of IVE member Jang Won-young, including the spread of false information, defamation, sexual harassment, personal attacks, insults and invasion of privacy."

"Such conduct cannot be justified under any circumstances, and we will never overlook any act that infringes on our artist's rights," the agency added.

Starship said it is working with law firm Liu — which handled litigation related to the cyberbullying channel known as "Taldeok Suyongso," or "Anti-fan Detention Camp" — to review materials gathered through fan reports and ongoing monitoring.

"We are securing evidence of posts suspected of infringing on the artist's rights across major online platforms at home and abroad, and are proceeding with the necessary legal steps on a case-by-case basis," the agency said.

It added that it will "pursue all available civil and criminal legal measures against confirmed violations" and that evidence already secured will be used in legal proceedings "regardless of whether posts are deleted, accounts are set to private, usernames are changed or accounts are deactivated."

The agency warned that it "will firmly maintain the principle of holding those who damage the artist's honor and personal rights fully legally accountable, without any leniency or tolerance," and that it "will continue to prioritize the protection of our artist's rights and respond to malicious infringements with resolute and sustained legal action."