G-Dragon Trolls Fined Up to $5,000

G-DRAGON's agency has secured court-ordered fines against people who posted malicious content about the K-pop star online.

Galaxy Corporation, the agency representing the BIGBANG rapper, shared an update on Aug. 4 about its ongoing legal action against online abusers.

The company said it filed criminal complaints against roughly 100 people who wrote or spread malicious posts about the artist. The complaints followed a February announcement that the agency would step up its response to online harassment. The charges include defamation under South Korea's Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.

"Many of these cases are currently being handled by investigative agencies and the courts," the agency said in a statement. "In some cases, the suspects' charges have been recognized and sent to the prosecution or referred to criminal trial."

Galaxy Corporation added that courts have already issued summary orders against multiple defendants, with fines ranging from 2 million to 7 million won (roughly $1,400 to $5,000). Prosecutors have also requested summary fine orders in other cases, and criminal proceedings are still underway.

"This shows that even malicious posts written under anonymous accounts can be traced back to their authors through investigators, and can lead to actual criminal punishment," the agency said. "Based on the evidence we have already secured, we will hold people fully accountable in the cases currently underway, as well as any new illegal activity we identify."

Meanwhile, BIGBANG is set to launch its 20th anniversary world tour later this month. The group opens the run from Aug. 21 to 23 at Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium in Gyeonggi Province.