KBS considers legal action against BBC News following 'Burning Sun' documentary

KBS is considering legal action against BBC News following the British network's 'Burning Sun' documentary.

The documentary follows the stories of female journalists who took on the task of investigating the secret chat groups of prominent K-pop stars and paid a huge personal price. Following the documentary's release, Korean national public broadcaster KBS is facing renewed controversy over the network's alleged involvement in Jung Joon Young's illegal filming case. KBS is alleged to have pressured victims into withdrawing their complaint against the former singer by focusing on the consequences of insufficient evidence.  

On May 21, KBS released a statement through lawyers denying the accusations, stating, "The journalist who appeared in the BBC documentary 'Burning Sun' claimed KBS lawyers contacted and pressured Jung Joon Young's victims. These claims are false and unfounded."

KBS then stated the lawyer who advised the victims about possible legal consequences were not employed by the network and were not the network's representatives. The network's lawyers stated, "When the victims say they were afraid after a lawyer advised they might face legal consequences if their evidence was insufficient after BBC narrates that KBS' lawyers contacted the victims, we would like to make it clear the lawyers were the victim's representatives."

KBS' lawyers concluded, "We express regret towards BBC, and we're planning to ask that they correct their mistakes in a press release. In the case they do not, we're looking into legal options."  

Stay tuned for updates.