'One Million' Mukbang YouTuber Assaulted Girlfriend, Forced Her to Cancel Report... Suspended Sentence Upheld on Appeal

Prosecutors Appealed, but Court Dismissed the Appeal
Original Sentence Upheld

A famous mukbang (eating broadcast) YouTuber who was prosecuted for assaulting his girlfriend and forcing her to cancel a police report was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the second trial as well.

A famous YouTuber who was prosecuted for assaulting his girlfriend and forcing her to cancel a police report was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the second trial as well. Yonhap News

According to the legal community on December 31, the Criminal Appellate Division 2-2 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judges Kang Heeseok, Cho Euna, and Kwak Junghan) sentenced YouTuber Lee, who was indicted on charges including trespassing, assault, and intimidation, to 10 months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence and 200 hours of community service, the same sentence as the original trial.

Lee was accused of assaulting his girlfriend during an argument at her home in February 2023. When his girlfriend reported him to the police, Lee continued the assault and forced her to cancel the report. When he heard the sound of police sirens, he made her wash her face and change out of her blood-stained clothes. About two months before this incident, Lee was also accused of calling a locksmith and entering his girlfriend's home without permission after she ended their relationship and changed the door lock code to prevent his entry.

Previously, prosecutors appealed, arguing that the original sentence was too lenient. They cited the seriousness of the crime, the fact that Lee posted videos defaming the victim on his YouTube channel and committed secondary harm, and that he continued to criticize the victim during the investigation and trial without showing any remorse. However, the appellate court dismissed the appeal, stating, "There are no new circumstances that would warrant changing the original sentence."

Lee is a YouTuber whose main content has been mukbang (eating broadcasts). He once had over one million subscribers and was known for positive content, such as participating in campaigns to find missing persons.