The Animal Hospital Representative's Changed Name Matches Birthdate
The Animal Hospital Director Issues a Statement to Clarify
The YouTuber 'Gapsu Farm,' a veterinary student who was previously criminally charged for animal abuse and fraud, sparking various controversies, is now suspected of having opened an animal hospital, a rumor spreading across YouTube and other online communities. Recently, several posts have appeared on various online communities claiming that Gapsu Farm, after changing his name, is operating animal hospitals in Icheon and Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.
On the 11th, according to the map services of major portals, Animal Hospital A, presumed to have been opened by Gapsu Farm, is designated as a "location where reviews are not provided at the request of the store owner." This appears to be a measure taken by the business after a flood of comments inquiring, "Is this the animal hospital opened by Gapsu Farm?"
Earlier, the YouTube channel Gapsu Farm, launched in January 2019, featured content created by operators who were veterinary students at Chungnam National University, rescuing and caring for animals with nowhere else to go. At one point, the channel gained popularity with up to 500,000 subscribers. However, in May 2020, allegations of animal abuse at Gapsu Farm were reported by some media outlets, and students from the same university posted expos?s revealing the truth through SNS and YouTube videos, escalating the controversy. [Photo by YouTube channel 'MobeomTube Kerang-i']
YouTuber 'MobeomTube Kerang-i,' who claimed to have received a tip from a related party, uploaded a video on the 10th titled "YouTuber Gapsu Farm is in big trouble!! Reports of hospital opening lead to more victim cases." Prior to this video, the YouTuber posted a video about the suspicion of Gapsu Farm opening a hospital, asserting, "A YouTuber with 500,000 subscribers has become the director of an animal hospital," and claimed, "Gapsu Farm opened Animal Hospital A in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, in January 2024, and opened Animal Center B in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, in the first half of the same year." Additionally, 'MobeomTube Kerang-i' mentioned that Gapsu Farm's side filed a complaint regarding personal information infringement.
A statement posted by the director of A Animal Hospital in Icheon, suspected of being an animal hospital operated by Gapsu Farm [Photo source=Online Community]
In response to the allegations, a veterinarian who identified himself as the representative director of Animal Hospital A posted a statement on an online local community saying, "The rumors related to Gapsu Farm are not true," and added, "We pursue low medical fees and are being attacked by various rumors from other veterinarians." In the comments on this statement, one user pointed out, "The veterinarian registered as the representative has the same name and date of birth as the name Gapsu Farm changed to," and asked, "Please clarify why the veterinarian presumed to be Gapsu Farm is not conducting face-to-face consultations." However, there was no response, and the comment was later set to private. Reviews on the portal site for Animal Hospital B in Gwangju include feedback from patients treated by a veterinarian presumed to be Gapsu Farm.
Public opinion on the controversy is divided. One netizen said, "If the allegations are not true as the company claims, it must be unfair," but also pointed out, "The fact that the veterinarian registered as the representative has the same name and date of birth as the name Gapsu Farm changed to is a reasonable cause for suspicion." Another common reaction was, "How can an animal abuser be an animal hospital doctor?" On the other hand, some netizens commented, "Isn't it good to receive pet treatment at a good price? If he has reflected on his past mistakes and reformed, there should be no problem."
The YouTube channel Gapsu Farm, launched in January 2019, was run by operators who were veterinary students at Chungnam National University and posted content about rescuing and caring for animals with nowhere else to go. At one point, it was popular enough to have 500,000 subscribers. However, in May 2020, some media outlets reported suspicions of animal abuse by Gapsu Farm, and students from the same school posted expos?s of his true nature on SNS and YouTube, escalating the controversy.
At that time, the students claimed, "Gapsu Farm starved cats for filming, threw cats that did not obey, and all the cats he claimed were abandoned were actually purchased from pet shops." In response, Gapsu Farm admitted, "It is true that the cats came from pet shops," apologized to subscribers, but strongly denied the animal abuse allegations.
However, animal rights organizations accused the operators of Gapsu Farm of deceiving donors by claiming animals obtained from pet shops were "abandoned animals," and reported them to the police on charges of animal abuse, violation of the Act on the Regulation of Solicitation and Receipt of Donations, and fraud. Subsequently, the police decided not to prosecute the animal abuse charges due to lack of evidence of intent. However, regarding the charge of fraud for deceiving donors by claiming animals obtained from pet shops were abandoned, they were summarily indicted in October last year.
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