"My Broadcast Is No Joke"... 'Self-Employed Killer' YouTuber Ultimately Sentenced to Prison

Broadcasting Scene of Dispute with Responding Police
Law: "Used as a Tool by Victims to Gain Profit"

A man in his 20s who disrupted business operations by visiting restaurants and karaoke rooms in Cheongju, Chungbuk, and broadcasted it on his YouTube channel was sentenced to prison.

According to the legal community on the 28th, the Cheongju District Court Criminal Division 4 sentenced YouTuber A (27), who was detained and prosecuted on charges including obstruction of business, insult, and violation of the Animal Protection Act, to four years in prison on the 18th.

A, who runs a YouTube channel with about 5,700 subscribers, was known as the "Self-Employed Killer." He was prosecuted for broadcasting on July 31 last year at a singing practice room in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk, claiming without evidence that "(the owner) is conducting illegal business."

A YouTuber who mainly conducted broadcasts disrupting business in Cheongju, Chungbuk, shown in the past engaging in begging broadcasts. [Photo by YouTube channel '158cm Seonghun']

At the time, A also streamed live on YouTube a confrontation with the police who had arrived. A said, "There are hundreds of people watching, so I guess the broadcast is easy to handle."

A was found to have produced several videos previously claiming "illegal business operations."

He reportedly gained profits by posting provocative content on his YouTube channel, such as taking off his shirt in restaurants, suddenly throwing ordered food, and abusing animals at pet stores.

In particular, during this process, he mainly roamed local shopping districts, begging or speaking informally to self-employed business owners, causing disputes and scuffles. Moreover, he conducted live broadcasts without the consent of the parties involved, exposing business phone numbers, which led to business owners suffering from phone harassment by viewers.

According to the legal community on the 28th, the Cheongju District Court Criminal Division 4 sentenced YouTuber A (27), who was detained and indicted on the 18th on charges of obstruction of business, insult, and violation of the Animal Protection Act, to four years in prison.
[Photo by Asia Economy]

While investigating A’s case, the police detected evidence of drug use at his home in June of the same year, detained him for investigation, and then sent him to the prosecution. Subsequently, additional charges including trespassing, sexual violence, unlawful entry, special assault, and forced molestation were added, resulting in a total of 14 charges being tried.

The court stated, "The defendant caused considerable economic and mental suffering by using multiple victims as tools to gain profit through provocative and sensational broadcasts," but "considered that the defendant has no prior criminal record and is in poor health due to schizophrenia."

Meanwhile, both A and the prosecution appealed on the 23rd, dissatisfied with the court’s ruling.