Korea Entertainment Management Association Promises Strong Action Against Malicious Commenters

In the wake of Sulli’s passing, Korea Entertainment Management Association (CEMA) has released a statement revealing that the organization plans to take strong action in order to “eradicate cyber violence.”

Here is the full statement from CEMA:

We express our deepest condolences for Sulli’s passing, and may she rest in peace.

We are revealing our stance below with regard to our plan to prevent pop culture artists from being hurt. CEMA is an organization that stands at the forefront of the advancement of Korean entertainment business and is working toward the wholesome and systematic advancement and establishment of such businesses, as well as the protection of employees and artists so that our popular culture can set down upright roots.

As anonymous verbal attacks and malicious rumors are ever increasing to the point of becoming a serious societal issue, our organization will no longer stand by as cyber terror in the form of malicious comments go well beyond what people can accept as public figures and begin to trample people’s dignity and hurt their friends and loved ones. We are announcing that we will be taking action.

In June 2016, CEMA joined hands with the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) and artists in affiliated companies for the campaign to promote wholesome language on the internet. Unfortunately, though we started a movement for posting positive comments, the government was unable to sustain this, and we regret that the campaign ended as a single event. Our organization has faced the unfortunate events surrounding Sulli, an artist in our member company SM Entertainment.

We will no longer stand idly by, and we will do our best to eradicate cyber violence and malicious commenters. As other victims have done in the past, we will take the spreading of rumors and malicious comments and the crimes of the commenters very seriously, and we will no longer overlook these issues.

Regarding cyber terrorism, we will not stop because of apologies or expressions of reflection. Instead, we will root out malicious commenters, and we will make requests and petitions to investigative bodies and to the government so that the commenters can be strictly punished. Nothing will be forgiven, and strong action will be taken. Once again, we will be taking strong legal action on all fronts against malicious comments directed at pop culture business professionals and artists.

Moreover, our organization will stand at the forefront of societal action with regards to the eradication and prevention of cyber terror and malicious comments that defame and tarnish the reputation of pop culture artists. We will continue to stand at the forefront of the fostering of an upright society and the development of pop culture business.

Thank you.

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