Prosecutors Seek Prison Sentence for Gaseyeon Operators Over 'Cho Kuk's Daughter Porsche' Remarks

The prosecution has requested prison sentences for the operators of the YouTube channel 'Garosero Research Institute' (Gaseyeon), including lawyer Kang Yong-seok, who claimed that Cho Min, the daughter of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, drives a Porsche car.

Attorney Kang Yong-seok

On the 16th, the prosecution requested a one-year prison sentence for lawyer Kang and eight-month prison sentences each for former MBC reporter Kim Se-ui and former Sports World reporter Kim Yong-ho at the sentencing hearing presided over by Judge Lee Jong-min of the Criminal Division 3 at the Seoul Central District Court.

Earlier, Kang and others were prosecuted on charges of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act for falsely stating on YouTube in August 2019 that Cho drove a red sports car, after revealing photos of a Porsche parked at the Pusan National University School of Medicine.

In March, Cho appeared in court as a witness and testified, "I have never driven a foreign car or a sports car," stating that the "red Porsche" pointed out by Gaseyeon belonged to someone else. She said, "All my classmates at the Pusan National University School of Medicine knew that I drove an Avante, and I often gave rides to my friends. It is utterly ridiculous and baffling where the story about the Porsche came from."

All defendants, including lawyer Kang, denied the charges. They argued, "The defendant never definitively stated that Cho Min drove a red Porsche. They were unaware of any falsehood, and even if they agreed, it was based on a public interest purpose."

Former Minister Cho, Cho Min, and her brother Cho Won have also filed a damages lawsuit against Gaseyeon, winning partial victory in the first trial in June last year. The civil trial is currently in the appeals process.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.