Netizens were in disbelief.
Koreaboo
Recently, it was confirmed that NJZ’s fanbase Team Bunnies, which raised funds to counter malicious posts targeting the group, was transferred to the Juvenile Division of the Family Court on charges of violating the Fundraising and Gifts Act. This decision was based on the individual’s status as a minor.
According to media reports, the Seoul Prosecutor’s Office referred “A” (a minor), a Team Bunnies organizer, as suspected of violating the Donations Act, citing evidence of legal violations. The prosecution considered their age and the severity of the actions and referred the case to the Juvenile Division for protective custody rather than criminal punishment.
A legal source stated, “It’s highly likely this happened due to the lack of understanding of the laws. Minors are generally subject to the Juvenile Act, and we felt the case was not worthy of punishment.”
The Juvenile Court will review “A”’s age and the severity of the actions before deciding whether to proceed with the protective case. The case will be dismissed with a “no-disciplinary” decision if deemed minor.
Team Bunnies is an NJZ fanbase formed last year to support the group during the conflict between HYBE and ADOR.
Last October, they launched a fundraising campaign to promote and “report malicious posts related to NJZ.” The campaign raised over 50,000,000 KRW ($~34,861.45 USD) in eight hours, but controversy rose over alleged violations of the Fundraising Act.
The current act stipulates that any donation exceeding 10,000,000 KRW ($~6,972.29 USD) must be registered with the relevant authorities.
The donations are currently on hold while investigations are ongoing. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, any unused funds will be returned to the donors in accordance with the law.
However, K-Netizens were appalled at the way the fanbase’s actions.
- “Even if a minor had stepped in, with a fanbase that large, they should have stopped it.”
- “This fandom is so bizarre in so many ways.”
- “Did they intentionally use a minor to be the target of the bullet, or was it originally a group of expert con artists? Everything I expected was off.”
- “They need to stop now before they regret it later.”
- “They were a minor? People really do get brave when they don’t know anything.”
- “This fandom is so…”
- “Such a strange fandom…rubs me the wrong way.”
