Is Your Safety at Risk? YouTuber Faces Charges Over Controversial Claims About Chinese Visitors in Korea

Popular YouTuber ‘DaeboJjang’, with nearly a million subscribers, has been referred to prosecutors for allegedly violating South Korea’s Telecommunications Basic Act.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Cyber Investigation Division forwarded the case of a man in his 30s, identified only as Cho, to prosecutors on the 13th of last month without detention. They also requested a pre-indictment asset seizure of approximately 350,000 KRW (about 2,380 USD) in revenue generated from the controversial videos.

Cho, who primarily created content for Japanese viewers, posted a video last October claiming that Chinese individuals who entered South Korea without visas were involved in murder and organ trafficking.

The video cited a comment from an alleged prosecutor, asserting that 37 partial bodies were discovered in Korea and that over 150 undisclosed investigations were ongoing. These claims sparked significant controversy.

The video elicited anti-Korean sentiments among Japanese viewers, with comments such as “I’m scared to visit Korea,” “Korea is finished,” and “Democracy has collapsed there,” fueling further debate.

A month later, Cho disclosed that he was under police investigation, stating, “I didn’t intend to tarnish the country’s image. I will remove all the controversial videos.”

Reports indicate that during the police inquiry, Cho maintained that his videos were meant to alert travelers about deteriorating public safety following the implementation of visa-free entry for Chinese nationals.

On the 4th, Cho released another video claiming he had provided evidence showing his content had positively influenced public opinion in Japan. He expressed frustration, saying his lawyer found the investigation itself difficult to justify.

Photo: Channel ‘DaeboJjang’