November 2, 2026 | K-POP News | South Korea · Media and Law
Former THE BOYZ member Ju Haknyeon has won a civil damages lawsuit against an entertainment reporter whose 2025 articles contained false allegations about his private life. The Seoul Central District Court ordered the journalist to pay ₩200 million after finding that key claims in the reports were false and insufficiently verified.
The Seoul Central District Court delivered its ruling on October 23, 2026; details were reported on October 28. The court partially upheld Ju’s ₩1 billion claim. It was a first-instance civil judgment; the reports do not establish that the appeal process has concluded or that the damages have been paid.
Why the court awarded Ju Haknyeon ₩200 million
According to the October 28 court reports, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 25, led by presiding judge Kwon Ki-man, ruled in Ju’s favor against a reporter identified as Choi. The case concerned serious allegations about Ju’s private life published in June 2025, including a purported admission that the court found was not true.
The court found the central allegations and the claimed later admission to be false. It also determined that the reporter had not established reasonable grounds for believing the claims. The court emphasized the reputational damage such reporting could cause and the need for proper verification before publication.
The 2025 reports and Ju’s departure from THE BOYZ
The original allegations emerged in June 2025. As they spread, Ju’s agency at the time, One Hundred, announced that he would leave THE BOYZ and that his exclusive contract would end. Ju subsequently sought 1 billion won in compensation from the reporter, arguing that the articles contained false claims and damaged his reputation.
The October 2026 ruling concerns the journalist’s responsibility for the published claims. It should not be confused with a ruling on every dispute involving Ju’s former agency or taken as proof of any new group activity. Ju is a former member of THE BOYZ, whose group history is available in the THE BOYZ A–Z artist profile.
What the civil judgment decided — and what remains separate
| Issue | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Court and date | Seoul Central District Court, Civil Division 25 — October 23, 2026 |
| Reported on | October 28, 2026 |
| Claimed damages | ₩1 billion |
| Civil damages awarded | ₩200 million; partial victory for Ju |
| Court’s finding | Two central claims in the reporter’s articles were false; verification was inadequate |
| Separate proceedings | The reporter also faces a criminal defamation case, which is distinct from the civil damages award |
Separate coverage reports that the journalist was indicted without detention in May 2026 over alleged criminal defamation arising from the same reporting. That criminal proceeding is separate from the civil damages judgment; this article does not claim that the criminal case has concluded.
A judgment with wider implications for entertainment reporting
The case highlights a distinction that matters well beyond K-pop: reporting that an allegation exists is not the same as establishing the allegation as fact. According to the court coverage, the journalist argued that the information was true or that there were reasonable grounds to trust it. The court did not accept that defense on the evidence presented.
Ju’s lawyer, Kim Tae-hyung of law firm Barun, expressed hope that the judgment would help restore his client’s reputation and encourage more careful verification of serious allegations. The ruling does not undo the disruption caused by the original reports, but it establishes the court’s findings about the claims at the center of the case.
Sources
Yonhap News — original Korean court report, October 28, 2026 · Seoul Economic Daily — English-language court report, October 28, 2026.