Controversy Over Cat Abuse YouTube Channel Appearance
Abuse Videos Exposed on YouTube for Over a Month
Netizens Outraged, Petition Submitted to Blue House
Animal Protection Alliance "System to Pre-Screen Videos Must Be Strengthened"
A YouTube channel that uploads videos of cat abuse. The channel has currently been removed. Photo by YouTube channel capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] Recently, outrage has erupted after it was revealed that a YouTuber not only brutally abused stray cats but also filmed the process and mockingly uploaded it on YouTube.
The YouTuber set a profile picture showing a cat with a rope around its neck and uploaded videos depicting sadistic acts such as poking the cat's mouth with a twig, abusing injured cats, wrapping their hind legs with tape to lift them, and confining them in metal cage traps.
As these facts came to light, both animal protection organizations and citizens have called for investigations and severe punishment through platforms like the Blue House's national petition site.
Since the channel was created in September, four videos showing cruel methods of tormenting and abusing cats were uploaded between last month and the 19th.
The YouTuber operating the channel justified their animal abuse in the channel description, stating, "The claim that killing beasts makes one a murderer is anthropocentric pseudoscience," and added, "Those who treat killing wild cats as murderers are the real murderers. They condemn good people protecting ecosystems from invasive harmful species and try to kill them in the same way."
The channel remained public until the morning of the 21st but was terminated by YouTube for "repeated or severe violations of the policy on violence."
Netizens have demanded an investigation into the channel operator. On the 21st, a petition titled "Request for Investigation and Punishment of the YouTuber Abusing Stray Cats" was posted on the Blue House national petition board.
The petitioner stated, "This YouTuber illegally captures stray cats and continuously uploads videos of cruel abuse. Psychopaths who brutally abuse animals are potential murderers," and urged, "We request a swift investigation and strict punishment to prevent further victims." As of 2 p.m. on the 22nd, over 40,000 people had agreed to the petition.
Additionally, YouTube users, cat-related communities, and social networking services (SNS) have flooded with posts demanding the suspension of the channel and investigation, as well as calls for stronger penalties against animal abuse. Netizens responded with comments such as "What’s next after animals? Humans," "Maybe they’ll realize after living a painful life just like the abused," and "Isolate them from society and strengthen punishments."
A 23-year-old university student A, who owns a pet cat, said, "Just the abuse itself makes me furious, but filming it and uploading it on YouTube as if it’s something to be proud of is absolutely unforgivable," adding, "They are the same life, yet such cruelty and abuse continue because the punishments are light. Animal abuse is a clear crime, so I hope they are properly punished and the abused cats are rescued."
Similar animal abuse incidents occurred in July. A YouTuber created two channels and uploaded multiple animal abuse videos, sparking controversy.
After petitions requesting channel deletion were posted on the petition board and the controversy intensified, the YouTuber uploaded an apology video and then deleted the channels.
According to YouTube’s Community Guidelines, violent or dangerous content such as animal abuse is not allowed because it can shock or disgust viewers.
However, criticism exists that videos are initially posted and only later reviewed and removed after community guideline violations or user reports, making the response reactive rather than proactive.
YouTube’s Community Guidelines state, "Content that violates policies will be removed. For a first violation, a warning is issued without channel restrictions, but for subsequent violations, a strike is applied to the channel, and after three strikes, the channel is terminated."
Animal protection organizations recognize animal abuse as a serious social crime and suggest that platforms like YouTube strengthen systems to prevent such videos from being uploaded in the first place.
Lee Won-bok, head of the Korea Animal Protection Union, said, "Under the current Animal Protection Act, not only the act of animal abuse itself but also filming and posting abuse videos can be punished under Article 8, Paragraph 5, Item 1 of the Act," emphasizing, "Abusing society’s most vulnerable beings, animals, is a serious social crime punishable by up to two years imprisonment or a fine of up to 20 million won, and punishments should be further strengthened."
He added, "Video platforms like YouTube and SNS must establish systems to block the posting of abuse videos," and urged, "It is important to enhance filtering technologies to screen out animal abuse videos and prevent criminal acts in advance."
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