The Top Kdrama Issues of 2013: Part Five

The Internet offers fans more chances to interact with others and comment on their favorite actors and actresses, but it also provides a quick way for slanderous false rumors to spread. And even though it's false, a rumor can damage a career.

2013 was the year in which many k-celebrities decided to fight back against those who spread false and hurtful comments.

Gossiping with your friends is not against the law but posting career-damaging negative remarks online can be considered defamation. Once a person posts such comments on the Internet that person can be sued. And that's what happened this year.

Three stars who were driven to prosecute slanderous netizens were Song Hye Kyo, star of "That Winter The Wind Blows," IU, who appeared in "You're The Best Lee Soon Shin" and now stars in "Pretty Man," and singer Baek Ji Young, who is married to actor Jung Suk Won. All three stars took action against slander.

For most of her career Song Hye Kyo did not take rumors too seriously. But then the rumors got ugly, accusing her of accepting money from politicians for favors. Such false rumors could damage her reputation and career so she filed lawsuits against 41 netizens. Of those netizens, the Seoul District Court fined 24. Three were fined $1,000 each.

Earlier this year rumors were also spread that singer and actress IU was planning to marry Super Junior's Eunhyuk and that she was pregnant. Executives from IU's label Loen Entertainment were not amused and started to pursue legal action.

"First, we would like to say how sad we are that such an unfounded false rumor can spread so easily," said a Loen Entertainment representative. "We don't' know how to just laugh this rumor off."

The police investigated and caught the guilty party.

"The person who spread IU's wedding rumors and other false accusations has been caught and confessed to his crime," tweeted producer Cho Young Chul of Loen Entertainment. "He is being investigated for his malicious hate comments. From now on the malicious hate comments or any kind of defamation of character of our artists will be firmly dealt with."

Baek Ji Young was already sad when she miscarried earlier this year shortly after her wedding to actor Jung Suk Won. But the comments posted online about her miscarriage added to her heartbreak. They blamed her for the miscarriage, saying the 38-year-old was too old and that she worked too hard. The singer, often called "The Queen of the OST" for her contributions to drama soundtracks, decided to fight back. Her agency, WS Entertainment, provided police with evidence about the slander.

"They took advantage of the Internet's anonymity and wrote those words without any inhibitions," said a representative from the prosecutor's office.

Four netizens were traced through their IP addresses and charged with slander. More are being investigated.

"We will prosecute all the netizens that make false and defamatory comments," said a WS Entertainment representative.

In future, more netizens may think twice about posting slanderous comments.