Choi, a lawyer (39, former journalist) accused of threatening and extorting money from famous YouTuber Jjuyang (real name Park Jung-won), who has over ten million subscribers, has been indicted while in custody.
On the 28th, the Criminal Division 5 of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Cheon Dae-won) indicted Choi on charges of coercion, threats, extortion, and breach of business confidentiality.
Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
Choi is accused of threatening to expose Jjuyang's past to extort money and leaking business secrets related to Jjuyang.
According to the prosecution, in October 2021, during a civil lawsuit against A (deceased), the former CEO of Jjuyang's previous agency and ex-boyfriend, Choi provided information about Jjuyang's cohabitation, which he learned during the lawsuit, to the cyber-rekka YouTuber Guje-yeok (31, real name Lee Jun-hee), violating the Personal Information Protection Act. He is also accused of conspiring with Guje-yeok to upload videos implying the cohabitation of Jjuyang and A, thereby threatening A.
At the same time, using his status as a journalist, Choi threatened A by implying he would write malicious articles related to the lawsuit filed by A, forced A to sign a legal advisory contract, and coerced him to withdraw the lawsuit, receiving 1.5 million won as advisory fees, which is also a violation of the Attorney-at-Law Act.
In February last year, Choi again provided Guje-yeok with sensitive information about Jjuyang's tax evasion and private life, aiding Guje-yeok in extorting 55 million won from Jjuyang (violations of the Personal Information Protection Act and aiding extortion). In May of the same year, he threatened Jjuyang by saying he would expose her past and signed a 'crisis management PR contract' under the pretext of media response advice, extorting a total of 23.1 million won in advisory fees (extortion).
Choi reportedly demanded that Jjuyang advertise a deodorizer he sold for free on the condition that he would not expose her past. When Jjuyang showed reluctance, he demanded to sign a legal advisory contract.
He is also accused of providing another YouTuber with confidential information about Jjuyang's tax evasion, which was part of the 'crisis management PR contract,' in July this year (breach of business confidentiality).
A Suwon District Prosecutors' Office official stated, "Despite the duty as a lawyer to amicably resolve clients' disputes and protect their interests, he solely pursued personal gain by provoking disputes and fostering conflicts in a way favorable to himself."
He added, "During the civil lawsuit, he signed a legal advisory contract with A, the opposing party, leaked personal information obtained during his legal work, manipulated A's will, seriously violating professional ethics as a lawyer. Utilizing the modus operandi and predatory criminal tendencies of cyber-rekkas, he intelligently controlled them from behind the scenes rather than taking the front line himself, thereby realizing his economic benefits."
Guje-yeok extorted 55 million won from Jjuyang by threatening her with information provided by Choi. During this process, Jjuyang misunderstood that A had provided her information to Guje-yeok and filed a criminal complaint against A. Concerned about criminal punishment, A reportedly took an extreme step with his mother in April last year.
After receiving the complaint on the 19th of last month, the prosecution conducted a search and seizure of Choi's residence and office on the 25th and began a forced investigation. Although a detention warrant was initially rejected by the court on the 2nd, after reapplying, Choi was detained on the 19th.
The prosecution stated that by swiftly investigating Choi's criminal charges alongside the cyber-rekka investigations and indicting him while in custody, they have prevented further secondary damage.
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