PETALING JAYA, Nov 11 — K-pop star Son Na-eun has stopped pursuing legal action against a cyberbully after discovering that the suspect suffers from a mental illness.
The Apink member’s management label Play M Entertainment had initially filed a criminal complaint on her behalf against someone who was leaving malicious comments on her social media profiles.
In an act of empathy and kindness, Son dropped the charges after it was revealed that the person was undergoing treatment for mental health issues.
According to South Korean news portal Special Economy, a spokesperson from the law firm Wooree said that the suspect’s relatives had already apologised to Son for the hateful comments.
“The suspect’s family apologised sincerely to Son Na-eun and her agency, and after hearing of the suspect’s unfortunate circumstances and the sincere apology from their family, Son Na-eun has decided this once to forgive them.
“Apink and the members have been through a lot of hurt because of malicious comments, and their agency and our law firm took a strong response by requesting a thorough investigation,” said the Wooree representative, based on translations by Soompi.
The suspect was reportedly a law student at a top-ranking university in South Korea and had buckled under pressure due to exams.
The individual is currently being treated for mental illness at a hospital.
Despite letting the person off, Wooree emphasised that Play M Entertainment will continue to take stern action against keyboard warriors targeting Son and her fellow Apink members.
Son was previously the subject of criticism in February last year for having a phone case that read: "Girls can do anything".
Social media users accused the 25-year-old of promoting feminism, a controversial topic in South Korea where patriarchal ideals remain prevalent.
