Super Junior member Choi Siwon has taken legal action against malicious online commenters, with a U.S. court approving his request to identify anonymous users accused of posting defamatory content about him.
According to reports, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted Choi Siwon's discovery request, allowing platform operators including X (formerly Twitter) and Google (YouTube) to provide identifying information for 10 anonymous users.
The legal battle follows months of malicious comments directed at the singer and actor. The attacks reportedly intensified after Choi Siwon shared a four-character idiom and a Bible verse on social media in February, which some online users interpreted as a political message.
He was then flooded with hateful comments targeting his alleged political views, religion, appearance, and career. Some commenters even told him to "leave Super Junior" and "become a politician instead."
In May, Choi Siwon filed a defamation and insult lawsuit against the 10 anonymous users in the Seoul Central District Court. To continue the case, he requested permission from a U.S. court to obtain the users' names, birth dates, and addresses from X and Google.
The U.S. court approved the request, ruling that the posts involved Korean residents and that the request was limited only to information necessary to identify the defendants.
With the identities now able to be verified, Choi Siwon can move forward with the lawsuit in South Korea. His agency, SM Entertainment, has also reaffirmed that it will continue taking strong legal action against those spreading false information or posting malicious content about its artists.