"Unauthorized Personal Information Disclosure is Defamation"…YouTuber Exposing 'Miryang Sexual Assault' Perpetrator Sued

Police Receive Five Defamation Charges

In relation to the 'Miryang Middle School Girl Group Sexual Assault' case, as YouTubers continue to disclose the identities of the perpetrators, those involved in the expos? videos have been filing lawsuits against the respective YouTube channels one after another.

A YouTube channel that disclosed the identities of the perpetrators related to the Milyang middle school girls' group sexual assault case. Photo by YouTube.

On the 7th, the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency announced that five complaints of defamation had been filed concerning YouTube videos that revealed the identities of the perpetrators in the Miryang sexual assault case. Two complaints were submitted to the Gimhae Jungbu Police Station, and three to the Miryang Police Station.

The complainants stated that a YouTube channel disclosed personal information without consent, damaging their reputations, and thus filed the complaints. Among the complainants were a man who was identified as a perpetrator and subsequently dismissed from his workplace, and a woman who was mistakenly reported as the perpetrator’s girlfriend.

However, the police did not disclose specific details of the complaints.

Meanwhile, the 'Miryang Middle School Girl Group Sexual Assault' case from 20 years ago has recently come back into the spotlight after a YouTuber repeatedly posted videos exposing the identities of those accused as perpetrators. The videos contained detailed information including the perpetrators’ names, faces, and workplaces. One video mistakenly revealed a woman as the perpetrator’s girlfriend, prompting an apology asking to "stop attacking the individual involved."

As the videos released by this YouTube channel received explosive attention, other YouTubers have also been disclosing the identities of the perpetrators one after another.

However, such actions may be subject to punishment under criminal law for defamation, violations of the Information and Communications Network Act, and the Personal Information Protection Act. Under criminal law, if a person’s reputation is damaged by stating facts, the offender may face imprisonment or detention for up to two years or a fine of up to 5 million won.

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