[Sportschosun Reporter Kim Jun-seok] As singer and actress IU continues taking legal action against malicious posters, an account that claimed it had been sued by IU's side is now drawing criticism for spreading a baseless conspiracy theory that even drags in a missing-person case from Jeju Province.
On the 25th, an account using the name of a group called "Young People for Liberal Democracy" claimed online that it had been "sued for defamation by IU," saying it had become the target of legal action from IU's side.
The account then went on to list a series of unrelated incidents and circumstances involving IU, suggesting that they were connected.
It linked together Kakao Corp.'s headquarters location, a man surnamed Heo who went missing in Jeju Province in 2020, the purple tracksuit IU wore on JTBC's "Hyori's Homestay," and her 2024 song "Shh.."
In particular, the account claimed that the missing Mr. Heo was "the person who was exposing IU on the internet."
Even though no clear evidence was presented, the post quickly spread online, drawing thousands of likes.
However, nothing in the account's claims has been verified as evidence that IU was connected to the missing-person case.
The claims amount to little more than an arbitrary attempt to connect events that happened at different times with IU's music and broadcast activities.
The allegations involving IU's "Shh.." also differ from the actual, publicly known music video concept.
Tang Wei, who appeared in the "Shh.." music video, previously explained that the relationship between her character and IU was an interesting one in which IU plays her mother and friend.
IU also directly said, while explaining the story behind the song, that her part was about her mother.
There is no verified basis for the claim that Tang Wei portrayed a missing person from Jeju Province in the music video or that the case inspired it.
The claims about the clothing also fail on timing.
JTBC's "Hyori's Homestay," which featured IU wearing a purple tracksuit, aired in 2017.
By contrast, the missing-person case involving Mr. Heo dates back to December 2020, about three years later. There is also no verified evidence that the purple outfit mentioned by the account was the same tracksuit IU wore on the show.
IU's team has been taking a hard line for years against malicious posts and the spread of false information online.
Her agency said in February that it was pursuing criminal complaints and civil lawsuits against 96 people who wrote malicious posts.
A writer who spread a so-called "spy theory" about IU was fined 5 million won, and in a damages suit filed against a person who falsely accused her of copyright infringement over plagiarism allegations, the court ordered 30 million won in compensation.
IU's team has also begun a discovery process through a United States court to secure materials needed for legal action related to defamation in South Korea.
Even as unverified claims about IU continue to circulate despite ongoing legal action, the latest conspiracy theory has gone further by invoking an actual missing person, deepening concerns over the reckless spread of false information online.
narusi@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
