Shocking turn: A user who posted abusive comments against Super Junior member Choi Si-won has been identified. A U.S. court has approved the disclosure of identity information for 10 alleged trolls, allowing Choi to move forward in pinpointing them.
According to Dispatch on the 7th, Choi Si-won requested the disclosure of information on the commenters this June at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. On July 3, the court granted his discovery application, making it possible to identify those behind the malicious posts.
With this order, Choi can now ask platforms for the commenters’ names, dates of birth, addresses, and more. In a prior declaration, he explained that he “could not continue lawsuits in Korea because [he] could not confirm the identities of YouTube and X users,” which is why he expanded the process to a U.S. court.
Choi reportedly submitted examples of the abusive comments to the U.S. court, including: “He probably just parroted a four-character idiom he overheard,” “He thinks he can spout whatever nonsense he wants,” “Fanatic ‘insurrection dogs’ must be eradicated quickly,” “Get lost, XXX. Choi Si-won out,” “Choi Si-won, get out of Super Junior,” “Are you still clinging to the idol title just for money?” and “Line that XX up in the back.”
The wave of hate intensified after Choi posted the four-character idioms “불의필망” (roughly, “evil will surely be punished”) and “토붕와해” (an expression implying collapse and ruin) on the day former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s first-trial verdict was handed down. SM Entertainment previously announced it was securing evidence against the creation and spread of false information and the posting of mocking or contemptuous content, signaling imminent legal action.