K-pop agency SM Entertainment has announced its intention to take “strong legal action” over rumours about its boyband RIIZE.
In a new statement, SM Entertainment touched on the “creation of posts about RIIZE] that cross the line”, which include “[character] attacks, insults, and malicious slander”, calling them “a clear criminal act that severely defame our artist’s character and violate their rights”, per Soompi.
In response to the rumours, the K-pop agency added that it is “in the process of reviewing the material we have gathered, and we plan to take strong legal action by suing so that the perpetrators of these illegal acts will be punished, without any settlement or leniency”.
Outside of the rumours, SM Entertainment also warned “legal action” against those who are invading the privacy of its artists through “habitual stalking, verbal abuse and swearing, sexual harassment and more”.
안녕하세요. SM엔터테인먼트입니다. pic.twitter.com/zfLtnwPSnu
— RIIZE (@RIIZE_official) March 13, 2024
SM Entertainment’s statement comes days after two members of RIIZE, Anton and Eunseok, were caught in dating rumours after images of the two K-pop idols with their alleged girlfriends were posted online.
Anton and Eunseok have also since dismissed the rumours during a recent livestream, where they also apologised to fans for the controversy. “The first thing I want to say is that I did not do anything that you were worried about,” said Eunseok, according to The Korea Times. “I hope you trust me.”
In other RIIZE news, the boyband recently announced their upcoming 2024 ‘RIIZING Day’ fan-con world tour, with concerts in the US, Asia and more.