20s Threatened Former Boss with "YouTube Personal Info Exposure"... Reason for Not Guilty Verdict

Court: "Harm causing fear is difficult to prove"

A man in his 20s who sent threatening messages to his former boss, threatening to expose personal information on YouTube, was acquitted again in the appellate court.

According to the legal community on the 21st, the Chuncheon District Court Criminal Division 1 (Chief Judge Shim Hyun-geun) acquitted A (29), who was charged with threats, just as in the first trial. A was prosecuted for sending threatening messages to his former boss B (44) on January 1 last year, saying, "Even as you get older, you haven't learned anything, so you have to abuse your power," and "Let's not live in shame," threatening to expose personal information on YouTube.

(This image is not directly related to the article.) [Photo by YouTube]

According to the investigation, A sent such messages after hearing that B, with whom he had conflicts, would visit the cafe where he worked after resigning in January 2022. The first trial judged A not guilty on the grounds that the main content of the messages was sarcastic and did not specifically state any harm to be inflicted.

Also, considering B’s responses such as "If you have something to say, say it to my face," and "I hope you succeed without leaving work without notice in the future," it was difficult to see that B was notified of harm to the extent of feeling fear beyond psychological anxiety.

The appellate court, which reviewed the case again due to the prosecution’s appeal, dismissed it, stating, "The fact-finding and judgment of the original trial are appropriate, and there is no illegal error in fact or law as claimed by the prosecutor."

YouTuber Gujeyeok (real name Lee Junhee), who is suspected of extorting money by threatening to expose the past of mukbang YouTuber Jjuyang, voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 15th. Gujeyeok claimed upon arrival that "there was no extortion or threat," but Jjuyang's side announced that they would file complaints against Gujeyeok and three other YouTubers.

Meanwhile, mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang (real name Park Jung-won) announced plans to sue four YouTubers, including Gujeok (real name Lee Jun-hee), who threatened her using past revelations as leverage. Tzuyang’s side said, "If this case is overlooked, a second and third Tzuyang will emerge."

The Prosecutor General has instructed strict action against the so-called ‘cyber rekka’ for extortion and threats. There are also criticisms that the acts of YouTubers who expose past matters against the victim’s will or use them for profit, crossing the line between illegal and illicit acts, should not be tolerated. YouTube announced that monetization of cyber rekka YouTubers involved in this extortion and threat suspicion case has been suspended.

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