Two Women Receive Suspended Prison Sentences in First Trial for Extorting 216 Million Won from YouTuber Tzuyang

"Threatened to Expose" and Extorted 216 Million Won
Settlement and Compensation Considered... Suspended Prison Sentences

Two women who were indicted for extorting a large sum of money from YouTuber Tzuyang (real name Park Jeongwon) through threats have received suspended prison sentences in their first trial.

YouTuber Tzuyang responding to reporters' questions regarding the threat lawsuit against Kim Sei, CEO of Garosero Research Institute, last April. This is unrelated to the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

On August 20, Judge Koo Changgyu of the Seoul Central District Court's 12th Criminal Division sentenced Song, a woman in her 30s, to two years in prison with four years of probation, and Kim, a woman in her 20s, to one year and six months in prison with four years of probation. Both were charged with joint blackmail under the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts.

The court stated, "The duration of the crime was long and the amount extorted was significant." However, the court explained the sentencing by noting, "The defendants admitted to the charges and expressed their intention to apologize from the investigation stage. They also compensated more than the amount of damages, and a settlement was reached. The victim does not wish for punishment."

From June 2021 to November 2022, the two threatened Tzuyang by saying they would reveal that she had worked at an entertainment establishment, and extorted 216 million won through the PD of her YouTube channel. In 2023, Song was also charged with an additional attempted extortion for demanding 15 million won more in exchange for not disclosing personal information, but this attempt was unsuccessful.

In a YouTube video released in July last year, Tzuyang mentioned, "The former CEO of my agency, who was also my boyfriend at the time, said, 'These women are blackmailing you, so let's pay them off with my own money.' As a result, my PD had no choice but to meet them and pay a total of 216 million won over about two years."

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