[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyun-sik] SM Entertainment (041510) announced on the 18th that Mr. A, who produced deepfake videos of Karina and Winter—members of the agency’s girl group aespa—and sold them for profit, has been sentenced to prison.

According to SM, the First Criminal Division of the Daegu High Court sentenced Mr. A to two years and six months in prison, ordered him to complete an 80-hour sexual violence treatment program, and prohibited him from working at institutions related to children and adolescents for seven years.
SM stated, “It is our policy to respond firmly with a zero-tolerance approach to criminal acts that infringe upon the rights and interests of our artists.” The agency added, “Through reports from fans and our own monitoring, we have collected thousands of pieces of evidence of malicious posts and comments on various online communities and social media platforms,” noting, “Based on this, we have filed complaints with investigative authorities, and the identities of many of the accused have already been confirmed, with investigations currently underway.”
Furthermore, SM stated, “We are continuously collecting evidence regarding all criminal acts related to aespa, including the creation of malicious rumors, the repeated dissemination of false information, the posting of sexually harassing content, and the production and distribution of insulting or distorted content,” adding, “After review, we plan to gradually expand the scope of our legal complaints.”
Meanwhile, aespa made their comeback on the 29th of last month with their second full-length album, *LEMONADE*. “LEMONADE” is an 11-track album featuring the double title tracks “LEMONADE” and “WDA” (Whole Different Animal). With this album, aespa achieved the No. 9 spot on the U.S. Billboard 200, the main album chart.