Accuser of YouTuber Kwaktube retracts stealing, lying claims

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Accuser of YouTuber Kwaktube retracts stealing, lying claims

Published: 22 Sep. 2024, 16:32 Updated: 22 Sep. 2024, 18:19

LEE JIAN
lee.jian@joongang.co.kr

Travel YouTuber Kwaktube [SCREEN CAPTURE]

An anonymous online writer who had accused travel YouTuber Kwaktube of stealing and lying revoked his claims on Friday.

Just one day before, they claimed that they were Kwaktube's middle school classmate and that the in school, the YouTuber had stolen a classmate's Nintendo DS and exaggerated his experiences with bullies on television.

"Everything is false. I am sorry," they said. "I wasn't a fan of Kwaktube so I decided to take advantage of his ongoing controversial situation to spread lies about him so that the public would dislike him."

Earlier this week, Kwaktube came under fire for posting a video in which he sided with Lee Na-eun, a member of the now-defunct girl group April who was accused of bullying a former bandmate. He has since apologized and taken down the video.

Friday's post also said that the writer did not attend the same middle school as Kwaktube. "I am still a sophomore in high school."

They decided to come forward with the truth after receiving calls from "large corporations threatening to sue."

"The situation was snowballing and I became scared. When my lie was published in the news and received lots of attention, I felt like I had become a famous criminal in a movie."

Kwaktube's management SM C&C entirely rejected the user's claims on Thursday saying, “We ask that you refrain from personal attacks that aren’t based on facts,” and that it will "take strict action against those who create and spread false and malicious rumors.”

Kwaktube, whose legal name is Kwak Joon-bin, is a 32-year-old who creates travel and food content on YouTube. His channel had 2.09 million subscribers as of Sunday.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]