Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang appears in court as witness in GooJeYeok trial

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Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang appears in court as witness in GooJeYeok trial

Published: 16 Nov. 2024, 14:18

YouTuber Tzuyang speaks at a press conference held at the Suwon District Court on Friday. [NEWS1]

YouTuber Tzuyang appeared in court on Friday to testify in the trial of Lee Jun-hee, also known by his YouTube user name GooJeYeok, who is accused of intimidation, coercion and extortion.

“I came to solve the issue instead of hiding,” said Tzuyang during a press conference held at the Suwon District Court around 1:30 p.m. ahead of the trial.

The 27-year-old Mukbang YouTuber, whose legal name is Park Jung-won, expressed her determination to correct any misinformation during the trial, as Lee is currently pleading not guilty.

"I don't know why he is saying such things, but I will say everything truthfully and fix anything that's not true," said Tzuyang.

“I have been feeling upset since the case became public, but I thought that I should come out and resolve it. I have recovered my strength and will do everything I can during the trial."

The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office on Friday began the third trial involving Lee and three other YouTubers — Jeon Guk-jin; Lee Se-wook, known as Caracula; and Choi Il-hwan, known as Crocodile — as well as a lawyer surnamed Choi.

Witness questioning is closed to the public, as Tzuyang's lawyer submitted a statement to the court arguing that "questions regarding her personal life are expected to come up frequently." The judge accepted the request.

Lee Jun-hee and Jeon are accused of having extorted 55 million won ($39,416) from Tzuyang in February 2023 by threatening to expose her alleged “tax evasion” as well as “private issues involving her ex-boyfriend,” who Tzuyang claimed had “tortured” her for four years on a livestream in July. The two also allegedly forced Tzuyang to promote a friend's restaurant and threatened to release a video that would damage her reputation.

Lee Se-wook and Choi Il-hwan are accused of sharing information about Tzuyang with Lee Jun-hee and persuading Lee to blackmail her for money. Choi is also accused of extorting 23 million won from Tzuyang by threatening to expose her past.

The 39-year-old attorney Choi faces multiple charges including coercion, blackmail, extortion and breach of professional confidentiality. Choi is accused of obtaining personal information about Tzuyang and her ex-boyfriend while defending a company in a lawsuit in October 2021 and of subsequently sharing the information with Lee Jun-hee. Caracula and Choi Il-hwan also allegedly encouraged Lee Jun-hee's actions.

Lee Jun-hee's attorneys have denied all allegations, claiming that their client made no threats and took no intimidating actions toward Park and her agency. Attorney Choi's side also rebutted the charges, stating that he did not conspire with Lee Jun-hee to commit the crimes.

Jeon admitted to the charges during the first trial, having previously been unable to review the evidence. Lee Se-wook and Choi Il-hwan denied having aided in the extortion of Tzuyang.

Tzuyang resumed her livestreams on Oct. 4. The YouTuber expressed determination to resolve the legal issues and celebrated reaching 10 million subscribers by donating 200 million won.

BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]