SM Entertainment recently issued an official statement regarding the malicious comments and cyberattacks suffered by aespa member Winter. On December 10th, SM, through its "KWANGYA 119" platform (used for reporting copyright infringement issues by artists), explained the current legal progress and emphasized that it will comprehensively upgrade its response measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its artists.

The statement indicated that, based on clues submitted by fans and internal monitoring, SM Entertainment has fully grasped the scale of malicious content involving Winter, including various forms such as sexual harassment, defamation, personal attacks, insults, privacy violations, and deepfake videos. SM specifically mentioned that a large number of posts maliciously defaming Winter's reputation still exist on platforms such as DC Inside, Women's Edition, Nate Pann, Instiz, TheQoo, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube. The company will expand the scope of legal action in stages based on the review results.

In addition to taking criminal and civil action against users of the relevant platforms, SM Entertainment is also collecting evidence against individuals who repeatedly spread false information, create malicious rumors, disseminate sexually harassing content, or mock or tamper with images of artists. The company emphasizes that it will adopt a "zero-tolerance" attitude and will not easily show leniency, and urges the public to avoid getting involved in such inappropriate behavior.

SM concluded by stating that it will continue to do its utmost to protect the reputation and rights of its artists and ensure they can operate in a healthier environment.