Prosecutors: "Private Sanctions Endanger Citizens... Strict Response to Follow"
11 Subscribers Who Joined the Pursuit Also Sent to Trial
A YouTuber and several subscribers have been indicted after causing a fatal traffic accident while live streaming the pursuit of a vehicle suspected of drunk driving on YouTube.
YouTuber A, who caused a fatal accident while live streaming the chase of a suspected drunk driving vehicle. Photo by Yonhap News
According to Yonhap News and other sources, the Criminal Division 1 of the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Chief Prosecutor Heo Seonghwan) announced on April 28 that YouTuber A (age 42) has been indicted without detention on charges including joint intimidation under the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts. Prosecutors have also indicted 11 subscribers who participated in A's pursuit.
A (age 42) is accused of directly or indirectly causing a fatal traffic accident that occurred at around 3:50 a.m. on September 22, 2024, on a road in Sanwol-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. On the day of the incident, A live streamed the chase of an SUV driven by B, a man in his mid-30s, whom he suspected of drunk driving. Two vehicles driven by A’s subscribers also joined the pursuit.
When three vehicles began following, B, startled, tried to escape and crashed into a large truck parked on the shoulder of the road. Immediately after the collision, B’s vehicle was engulfed in flames and completely destroyed. B, who was severely injured, was transported to the hospital but ultimately died. Prosecutors determined that there was a causal relationship between the actions of A and his subscribers and B’s fatal accident.
A vehicle engulfed in flames after a rear-end collision while being chased by a YouTuber. Provided by Gwangsan Fire Station, Gwangju.
The charges against A also include an incident in December 2023, in which he unlawfully confined a driver who was not under the influence of alcohol by preventing them from leaving the driver’s seat. Prosecutors stated that A and others pursued and live streamed suspected drunk driving vehicles on three occasions since December 2023. They also revealed that drivers with no connection to drunk driving were sometimes chased and threatened by A and his group without justification.
A prosecution official stated, "We will respond strictly to crimes that endanger the safety of an unspecified number of citizens under the pretext of private sanctions."
A, known as a "drunk driving hunter" YouTuber with tens of thousands of subscribers, was reportedly live streaming the entire process from reporting suspected drunk driving in entertainment districts to police crackdowns and arrests. A has uploaded around 800 videos and earned revenue by posting so-called "disciplinary" videos and receiving donations from subscribers.
After the fatal accident occurred during their pursuit, controversy arose over whether it was appropriate for a YouTuber, rather than the police, to carry out so-called "private sanctions," even though drunk driving itself is illegal.
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