“₩50 Million Compensation” — Deokso Camp Faces Forced Mediation After Starship Joins Kang Daniel in Legal Victory
Starship Entertainment, the agency representing IVE member Jang Wonyoung, has won a ₩50 million compensation ruling in its defamation lawsuit against the YouTube channel Deokso Camp (also known as “ 탈덕수용소”), which it accused of spreading fake news. However, as the channel’s operator, referred to as A, appealed the ruling, the court has now issued a forced mediation decision.
According to the Seoul Central District Court (Civil Division 50), the ruling was delivered in June after Starship filed a ₩100 million damages suit against A. The court stated,
“The defendant shall pay the plaintiff ₩50 million plus delayed interest,”
adding,
“The remainder of the plaintiff’s claim is dismissed, and each party shall bear its own legal costs.”
After A filed an appeal, the appellate court referred the case to mediation and held a session on October 30, ultimately concluding with a forced mediation order.
Forced mediation is a procedure in which the court, on its own authority, determines settlement terms between the parties. If neither side files an objection within two weeks, the mediation carries the same legal effect as a final judgment, effectively finalizing the settlement.
This is not the first time Deokso Camp has faced such a ruling. The same operator, A, was also subject to forced mediation in a previous defamation case filed by singer Kang Daniel.
Starship Entertainment stated,
“Since November 2022, we have been pursuing both civil and criminal actions—domestically and internationally—against Deokso Camp, which has persistently harassed our artists. The channel’s continuous spread of false information has caused severe defamation, disrupted our business operations, and inflicted serious distress on our artists and fans. We will continue to do everything in our power to hold them fully accountable under civil and criminal law.”
