A fundraising drive to counter online harassment of NewJeans reportedly raised over 50 million won in eight hours, with the organizer identified as a minor.

A fundraising drive by the fan group Team Bernies to counter online harassment against NewJeans has been referred to the Juvenile Court for a fundraising-law violation, after it emerged that the person in charge, identified as A, was a minor.

The prosecutors reportedly weighed A’s age and the severity of the acts and decided to refer the case to the Seoul Family Court’s juvenile division for protective proceedings rather than pursuing criminal punishment.

Team Bernies launched the donation drive on October 21 last year, stating they would expose malicious posts about NewJeans, and the collection reportedly surpassed 50 million won within eight hours, drawing a strong public response.

The group had presented themselves as a coalition of professionals from law, media, finance, culture, and the arts who support NewJeans, a description that has fueled curiosity after the revelation of the organizer’s minor status.

Public reaction has grown puzzlement over the fact that a major fundraiser was led by someone underage.

The fundraising reportedly drew scrutiny under the Fundraising Act, which requires registration for collecting more than 10 million won.

Currently, the donated funds are frozen to preserve evidence during the investigation, and any unused amounts are expected to be returned to donors in accordance with the law.