Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang to file lawsuit against 'cyber wreckers'

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Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang to file lawsuit against 'cyber wreckers'

Published: 15 Jul. 2024, 19:43 Updated: 16 Jul. 2024, 09:26

YouTuber Tzuyang [SCREEN CAPTURE]

YouTuber Tzuyang said she would file a complaint with the prosecutors' office against YouTubers for blackmailing her with her troublesome past.

The legal representatives of the mukbang (eating show) star stated that the complaint will be filed to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. The accused include "cyber wrecker" YouTubers GooJeYeok, whose real name is Lee Jun-hee, and Jeon Gukjin. “Cyber wrecker” is a derogatory term for YouTubers who post maliciously edited videos to insult and criticize celebrities or famous people.

Tzuyang claimed on Thursday through a YouTube live stream that she suffered continuous physical and mental abuse from her former agency representative and ex-boyfriend who she says extorted at least 4 billion won ($2.9 million) from her.

The YouTuber live streamed in response to revelations online detailing that the "cyber wrecker" YouTubers planned to extort money from her by threatening to expose her past.

"At the time this blackmail incident by the mentioned YouTubers occurred, Tzuyang was already entangled in many incidents and was suffering from various types of damage, leaving her mentally and physically exhausted," said Tzuyang’s legal team. "As a result, she had no capacity to respond to the extortion and thought she should just quietly endure the damage alone."

Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang explains controversies surrounding her in a video on July 11 [SCREEN CAPTURE]

"Tzuyang was placed in a thoroughly subordinate position and had to cater to the YouTubers who threatened her with personal revelations in a cunning manner,” said the legal team. “Eventually, she even had to sign an unwanted contract."

The legal team said Tzuyang decided to move forward with the legal procedure after much consideration, looking at how the secondary damage began spreading to third parties as the incident went public.

"If additional perpetrators who participated in extortion against Tzuyang are discovered during the investigation, we will respond actively and without leniency," said Tzuyang’s legal team.

"We have identified someone impersonating Tzuyang's legal representative and conducting false interviews claiming that Tzuyang was not extorted by GooJeYeok," said the legal team.

YouTuber Goo Je-yeok, real name Lee Jun-hee, voluntarily appears at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Monday. [YONHAP]

"This is not true at all," said the legal team, which also said there have been additional attempts to extort Tzuyang.

“We will take strong legal action against any threats or extortion, and we plan to respond firmly without leniency to the excessive spread of false information or insults against Tzuyang and all related parties," said the legal team.

GooJeYeok, accused of blackmailing Tzuyang into signing a contract worth 55 million won, voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Monday and denied the claims, saying that he “acted as a double agent” to stop the revelations about Tzuyang.

BY LEE JI-YOUNG,KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]