Pledis Entertainment continues to take strong legal action to protect the rights of its artist SEVENTEEN. On December 29, Pledis announced the status of legal actions related to SEVENTEEN through its official channels. The agency stated regarding an incident involving the spread of false information, "Following an investigation by authorities into a suspect who spread false claims online that the artist committed illegal acts, the suspect was found guilty of defamation by false statements, and the case has been forwarded to the prosecution."

Pledis reported that it actively cooperated by submitting relevant materials and opinions to ensure the strictest measures are taken against the suspect. The agency also emphasized, "We will not consider any settlements or leniency in this matter."

Procedures to identify the owner of a malicious X account are also underway. Pledis explained, "Regarding a malicious X account that has posted derogatory expressions and false information about SEVENTEEN members for an extended period, the U.S. court issued a decision in November citing the 1782 Application we submitted." Based on this decision, Pledis plans to immediately proceed with information disclosure procedures against Google and X through the U.S. law firm it appointed.

The agency stated, "We will take all necessary measures to hold the identified individuals legally accountable to the fullest extent."

Additionally, Pledis shared updates on the case involving the leak of the artist's unreleased information. The agency said, "Regarding the repeated leaks of confidential information related to the artist's unreleased albums and performances on anonymous internet forums, the court recognized the leaker's violation of trade secret laws, and a fine was imposed and finalized."

The agency described, "Leaking unreleased content and other confidential information is a clear criminal act that causes significant damage to the artist's creative activities and our business operations," and stated it will continue to respond strictly to any information leaks in the future.

Pledis also announced that it has strengthened real-time monitoring on major domestic communities, music sites, and social media platforms this quarter. Through this, it has secured evidence of highly malicious posts including ridicule, disparagement, sexual harassment, and the spread of false information targeting the artist.

The agency said, "We are closely monitoring habitual offenders who continuously and repeatedly post malicious content, as well as accounts that deliberately spread distorted information targeting specific members, and we proceed with criminal complaints and accusations as necessary."

Pledis emphasized that fan reports are a great help in taking legal actions to protect the artist's rights. The agency requested that if malicious posts are found, fans report them through the HYBE Artist Rights Violation Reporting Site.

Finally, Pledis expressed deep gratitude for the fans' continued trust and reports toward SEVENTEEN and made it clear that it will respond with a zero-tolerance policy to any acts infringing on the artist's rights.

These legal actions are part of efforts to protect all artists, including SEVENTEEN members currently serving in the military, and Pledis pledged to continue doing its best going forward.