YouTuber Arrested in Thailand for 'Obscene Broadcast' Bringing Shame to the Country... "All Earnings Confiscated"

Live Broadcast Replay Traces Erased
Arrested at Airport After Refusing Police Summons

A 20-year-old YouTuber was arrested by the police for live streaming explicit acts with women in Thailand without any filtering on the internet.

On the 21st, the Cyber Investigation Unit of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency announced that YouTuber A (27) was detained on charges of distributing obscene materials under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.

Mr. A is accused of live streaming on YouTube for about a month from mid-February, showing himself engaging in sexual acts with local women at a Thai entertainment bar, and earning approximately 11.3 million won through donations and other means.
[Photo by Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency]

A is suspected of live streaming acts resembling sexual behavior with local women at entertainment bars in Thailand for about a month starting from mid-February, earning approximately 11.3 million KRW through donations.

According to the police investigation, A, who runs a channel related to Southeast Asian travel, stayed in Thailand and conducted five live broadcasts containing obscene acts.

The broadcasts were streamed live without age restrictions, allowing access to minors. After the broadcasts, the replay links were deleted, and currently, all traces have been erased.

Criticism of 'damaging national dignity' arises as media reports surface

The police, with the cooperation of the local consulate, urged Mr. A to voluntarily return to the country, and arrested him upon his arrival at Incheon Airport on the 8th.
[Photo by Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency]

As A’s broadcasts became known through media reports, public criticism arose domestically, accusing him of 'damaging national dignity.' Although the videos produced by A did not show direct physical contact, they included many actions and remarks suggestive of sexual acts. In particular, there was criticism in Thailand for presenting prostitution as a tourism product.

Police, who launched an investigation based on tips, identified A’s identity and requested him to return to Korea from Thailand for questioning. However, A refused. The police, after legal review, judged that 'obscenity' under the Information and Communications Network Act could be recognized even without direct physical exposure and obtained an arrest warrant from the court. With the cooperation of the local consulate, the police urged A to voluntarily enter the country, and he was arrested upon arrival at Incheon Airport on the 8th.

The police applied for seizure and preservation of assets before prosecution for the approximately 11.3 million KRW earned from the obscene broadcasts.

A police official stated, "Obscenity can be recognized depending on the content even without direct physical exposure, and such broadcasts can be legally punished," adding, "We are investigating the legality of other similar YouTube broadcasts as well, not just A’s."

Calls grow louder for strict punishment of excessive broadcasts both domestically and abroad

There have been ongoing concerns domestically and internationally about acts that sexualize women and promote hatred through internet broadcasts.

Not only A but also YouTuber B is understood to have conducted so-called 'Yaking' (a shortened term for outdoor booking, recruiting women on the street) in Thailand and live-streamed obscene content in a manner similar to A. In particular, B reportedly engaged in inappropriate physical contact with Thai women during live broadcasts, used derogatory language towards women, and expressed gratitude for donations received during the broadcasts.

There have been ongoing concerns both domestically and internationally regarding the sexual objectification of women and the promotion of hatred through internet broadcasts and other media.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

After a Thai media outlet reported that B and other Korean YouTubers created content threatening Thai girls and invited them to drink, anti-Korean sentiment spread on Thai social networking services (SNS).

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