"Not a Public Interest Activity, but Private Sanctions": YouTuber Sentenced to Prison for Fatal Accident

Driver Dies During Pursuit... A Warning Against Indiscriminate Private Sanctions

Court: "A Crime for Donations, Not a Public Service"

A YouTuber who live-streamed so-called "drunk driving hunter" activities, chasing a vehicle suspected of drunk driving and ultimately causing a fatal accident, has been sentenced to prison and taken into custody in court. The court ruled that the defendant's actions were not for the public good, but rather indiscriminate "private sanctions" aimed at soliciting donations, and classified them as a crime, imposing a severe punishment.

The YouTuber and his accomplices, who live-streamed the pursuit of a vehicle suspected of drunk driving and caused the driver's death, have all been found guilty. The court regarded their actions as "private sanctions" disguised as serving the public interest and ordered the main perpetrator, the YouTuber, into custody.

A passenger car driven by Mr. A, in his mid-30s, was completely destroyed by fire after colliding with a cement transport trailer parked on the shoulder of a road in Sanwol-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju on September 22, 2024. Photo provided by a reader

On May 7, Judge Jeon Heesook of the Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 9 sentenced Choi (43), a YouTuber, to one year and six months in prison for violating the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts (joint intimidation), among other charges.

Choi, who operates the YouTube channel "Damyang Duck," identified the SUV of a man in his 30s, Mr. A, as a vehicle suspected of drunk driving in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, in the early morning of September 22, 2024, and began a pursuit. Choi and his subscribers used three vehicles to chase Mr. A for about 2.5 kilometers. Unable to withstand the pressure, Mr. A crashed into a truck parked on the shoulder and died in a vehicle fire.

This was not their only offense. It was revealed that Choi and his group had, on multiple occasions since December 2023, engaged in indiscriminate pursuits and illegal detainment, such as threatening drivers who were not drunk or preventing them from leaving their vehicles. Choi live-streamed these incidents and collected donations from subscribers.

The court stated, "Choi bears heavy responsibility for leading a dangerous pursuit while live-streaming on YouTube, and he continued his criminal acts even while under investigation or punishment for similar offenses." The court added, "The bereaved family of the deceased driver has petitioned for severe punishment, and actions taken under the pretext of private sanctions have endangered public safety."

Immediately after the sentence was handed down, Choi pleaded for an opportunity to reach an agreement while not in detention, but the court ordered his immediate arrest, citing concerns about flight risk. Meanwhile, 11 subscribers who participated in the pursuit at Choi's instruction were given either suspended sentences of six months in prison with two years of probation (five people) or fines of 1 million to 2 million won (six people), depending on the severity of their involvement.

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