YouTuber Prosecuted for Replaying Past Typhoon Footage to Make Money... Merchants Suffer Severe Damage

Manipulated Video Broadcasts to Gather Subscribers and Donations
Local Merchants at the Time Reported Suffering Losses

Last year, a group of YouTubers who fabricated the damage situation of Typhoon Hinnamnor in Busan as if it were the current situation during the landing of Typhoon Khanun were brought to trial.

A broadcast that edited footage of Typhoon Hinnamnor to falsely report damage from Typhoon Khanun when there was little damage in Marine City, Haeundae-gu, Busan at the time of Typhoon Khanun's landfall.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 15th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Eastern Branch of the Busan District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Song Young-in) announced that YouTuber A and editor B were indicted without detention on charges of violating the Telecommunications Business Act. The prosecution stated that they are accused of editing and broadcasting a video filmed during the damage caused by Typhoon Hinnamnor in 2022 as if the current typhoon damage was occurring when Typhoon Khanun landed in Busan on August 10 last year.

The prosecution viewed that they created fake typhoon damage videos and broadcast them live on YouTube to increase subscribers to their YouTube channel and boost revenue from broadcast sponsorships. At that time, there was no significant typhoon damage in Marine City, Haeundae-gu, but they edited subtitles and descriptions into the Hinnamnor typhoon video to make it appear as if there was severe damage, causing merchants to complain about the damage.

A prosecution official stated, "We plan to respond strictly to crimes that infringe on the public's right to know by spreading false and fabricated information through fake news and that exacerbate social anxiety."