[Reporter’s Notebook] YouTube Vigilantes Profiting from the Miryang Exposure

On YouTube, Attention Is Directly Convertible to Cash
Sensational Information Circulates Without Victim's Consent
Subscriber Count Grows Ninefold, Maximizing Profits
Constant Risks of False Accusations, Misjudgments, and Guilt by Association

Let's simplify the front line of the Miryang middle school girl sexual assault issue. There are 44 'villains' who committed a heinous crime. They locked up a 13-year-old middle school girl and gang-raped her. All received light punishments. Twenty years have passed. YouTubers appeared like 'avengers of justice.' They revealed the identities of the perpetrators one by one. Subscribers spread the information and wrote insults on SNS accounts. They demanded disciplinary actions, punishments, and dismissals at schools and workplaces. Even the families were thoroughly investigated, and their photos and names were posted online.

At first glance, it reads like a refreshing revenge narrative against 'absolute evil.' It is sensational and provocative but also refreshing and compelling. The criminal justice system failed to punish the heinous crime. YouTubers acted as vigilantes, delivering proxy judgment.

However, the matter is not that simple. The space for retribution is YouTube. It is governed by an attention economy where views, likes, Super Chats, advertisements, and donations all translate into money. There is a saying, "YouTube is a gold mine." Here, attention is scarce and highly liquid. 'Aggro' becomes capital. The more shocking the information, the greater the profit. One YouTuber's subscribers increased ninefold. They disclosed the victim's voice call contents and court rulings without the victim's consent. They even pointed fingers at the wrong people. Uploads continue even after the victim stated they did not want their personal information exposed. Through replication and transmission, the content spreads infinitely. The victim's right to be forgotten and the value of restoring daily life are ignored. The YouTuber rises as an idol in the discourse arena and even forms a fandom. Then, what else could the act of doxxing be if not a business, an 'economic activity' in itself?

Doxxing is based on digital vigilantism. It mainly thrives when public authority fails as a dispute resolver and fair judge to realize justice. Examples include militias in the American Old West and China's human flesh search engines.

The problem lies in its harmful effects. Information that is unverified, unconsidered, and unreliable spreads indiscriminately. It causes side effects such as false accusations, misjudgments, human rights violations, and collateral damage. Among the reports received about the Miryang doxxing YouTubers, there are a total of 16 cases, including 3 lawsuits and 13 complaints. Although various doxxing acts have been committed, the case of a friend in the 'Han River university student death incident,' who was cleared earlier this year, could be repeated.

YouTubers like clear-cut good-versus-evil narratives. They create sharp and distinct battle lines. They edit the structure to make it a problem that is resolved simply by punishing the perpetrators. This formula is concise and precisely targets the public's anger and turbulent emotions. The interest ignited like a flame leads to explosive views and results in profit generation. They personify structural problems and exploit them for profit. The Korea Sexual Violence Counseling Center stated, "It is as if the victim was sacrificed for YouTube content." This sentence points to the hidden core of this issue.