IU Files U.S. Court Request to Identify Anonymous Account in Ongoing Defamation Case
IU seeks Meta account records through a U.S. court filing to identify an anonymous user accused of posting 52 defamatory messages.
IU is taking her fight against online defamation beyond South Korea. The singer and actress, whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, has launched legal action in the United States as she seeks to identify the person behind dozens of posts that she says seriously damaged her reputation.
On July 15, IU filed an application for discovery under 28 U.S.C. §1782 with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The request aims to obtain evidence from Meta that can be used in an ongoing civil defamation lawsuit in South Korea.
According to the court application, IU identified an online Threads account known as @7h* as the source of repeated defamatory content. Her legal team alleged that the account published 52 false posts between March and October last year, causing significant harm to her honor and public image.
[단독] "악플러 7hy*jin을 찾아달라"…아이유, 美법원 신원조회 요청
— 아이유 에델바이스 (@iuedelweiss) July 20, 2026
IU asked a U.S. court to identify the hater behind the Thread account 7hy*jin.
On the 15th, IU filed an application in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California seeking discovery from Meta… pic.twitter.com/BrYbQgHmsY
The filing states that the Korean lawsuit cannot proceed effectively without identifying the individual operating the account. IU therefore asked the U.S. court to order Meta to provide information connected to the account, including the user's name, address, telephone number, email address, and access IP records.
The legal documents divide the disputed posts into six categories. They include allegations of plagiarism, false claims related to China, misleading statements about IU's overseas popularity, accusations that she exploited deceased celebrities for publicity, claims of media control and public opinion manipulation, and posts linking her songs to national tragedies.
One of the central allegations involved repeated claims that IU plagiarized another artist's music. Her legal representatives pointed to a 2024 court ruling that recognized similar accusations as defamatory and awarded 30 million won in damages.
The application also describes posts claiming that IU is a Chinese national or someone backed by Chinese capital. Other posts allegedly stated that organizations and cosmetics brands receiving her donations were Chinese companies and claimed she was an overseas Chinese fluent in Cantonese. Her legal team said those statements are completely false.
The anonymous account also questioned IU's international popularity, allegedly claiming that she had little global recognition and that "Pokssak Sorassuda" failed to achieve success overseas. In response, IU's representatives submitted international streaming figures and global performance data as evidence to dispute those claims.
Another section of the filing focuses on videos referencing the late Sulli, Jonghyun, and Goo Hara. According to IU's legal team, the account falsely accused the singer of using the deaths of the three artists for publicity. The filing argues that these allegations were fabricated and intended to damage her reputation.
The account also allegedly published posts accusing IU of controlling media coverage and manipulating public opinion. One post compared her influence to that of the Chinese Communist Party. IU's representatives argued that these accusations lacked factual support and were deliberately misleading.
Several posts also attempted to connect IU's music with major national tragedies. The filing cites claims that "Strawberry Moon" referred to the Itaewon crowd disaster and that "Apoo" mocked the Sewol ferry tragedy. IU's legal team argued that these claims were entirely false and spread without any factual basis.
The latest filing is part of IU's broader campaign against malicious online content. Last February, she announced that criminal complaints and civil lawsuits had been filed against 96 individuals accused of posting defamatory comments.
The campaign has already produced legal results. Last May, one defendant received a four-month prison sentence, suspended for one year, after an appeals court upheld thez conviction.
By seeking evidence through the U.S. legal system, IU is attempting to overcome the challenge of identifying anonymous online users whose account information is held by overseas technology companies. The case marks another significant step in her continuing effort to pursue legal accountability against malicious online attacks.
