10 Months Imprisonment with 2 Years Probation
Once nearing 1.2 million subscribers, mukbang YouTuber Woong-i (real name Lee Byung-woong) was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the first trial for unlawfully entering his ex-girlfriend's house and assaulting her during an argument.
According to the legal community on the 1st, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 24 (Judge Yoo Dong-gyun) recently sentenced Lee to 10 months in prison with a two-year suspension and ordered 200 hours of community service on charges including trespassing and assault.
Lee is accused of assaulting his girlfriend during an argument at her home in Gangnam, Seoul, on February 25 last year. When the girlfriend reported to the police, he allegedly took her phone and forced her to cancel the report, and when the police arrived, he made her pretend as if nothing had happened. It was investigated that when the victim called 112, Lee grabbed her by the collar, forced her to kneel, and threatened her by saying, "If the police come, I will kill myself," and "We will say you killed me, and I will kill your parents too," while assaulting her with his fists. Earlier, in December 2022, Lee was also charged with trespassing after unlawfully entering the house despite the girlfriend changing the door lock password.
The court found most of Lee’s charges guilty, stating that the victim’s testimony was detailed and consistent. The court pointed out, "After making the victim call to cancel the police report, the defendant made the victim wash her bloodied face and change clothes to avoid police investigation," and added, "Nevertheless, the defendant consistently blamed the victim with unreasonable excuses." However, the court suspended the prison sentence, noting, "There is no prior criminal record, and the degree of assault and threats is not severe."
Lee’s dating violence became public through the media last summer. At that time, Lee announced, "I was accused of three charges: rape injury, distribution of sexual photos, and sexual harassment," and shared a notification of investigation results that dismissed the charges due to insufficient evidence. He also expressed his intention to return, saying, "I do not think I am entirely at fault. From now on, I will act more maturely and avoid causing such unfortunate incidents for my fans," and "Next time, I will come back with a brighter image." However, the video he posted on March 27 was his last, and his subscriber count, which once exceeded 1.2 million, has plummeted to around 700,000.
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