Korean stars protest Web leak

South Korea’s top entertainment stars on Thursday threatened legal action after a file containing rumors on their sexual and drug habits was posted on the Internet.

The 113-page report contains personal and business data on some 100 TV stars, including rumors about their private lives. It was compiled by a research company for South Korea’s top advertising company, Cheil Communications, after interviews with tabloid reporters.

Cheil, a subsidiary of the nation’s No. 1 conglomerate Samsung, said it planned to use the data as a reference when signing TV advertising contracts with the celebrities. Cheil said it believed someone from the Dongseo Research leaked the file.

“The act of collecting information based on mere rumors and gossip, and the act of leaking such information cannot be condoned,” 100 TV entertainers said in a joint statement.