'Cyber wrecker' in Tzuyang case additionally charged with defaming streamers, YouTuber

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'Cyber wrecker' in Tzuyang case additionally charged with defaming streamers, YouTuber

Published: 26 Nov. 2024, 13:31 Updated: 26 Nov. 2024, 13:46

Lee Jun-hee, known by his YouTube channel name GooJeYeok, appears before the prosecutors' office as he heads to the Suwon District Court in Gyeonggi to attend an arrest warrant hearing on July 26. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

YouTuber Lee Jun-hee, also known as GooJeYeok, who was arrested and indicted for extorting tens of millions of won from YouTuber Tzuyang, has been additionally charged with defamation against streamers and others.

According to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office on Tuesday, Lee was indicted without detention on charges of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection and insult.

Between August 2022 and September 2024, Lee allegedly disseminated false information through his YouTube channel, defaming and insulting seven individuals, including streamers and a former soldier-turned-YouTuber.

In August, prosecutors indicted Lee and four other "cyber wrecker" YouTubers for their involvement in the extortion of Tzuyang. Cyber wreckers are YouTubers who specialize in posting videos that target specific people, mostly celebrities but sometimes noncelebrities like infamous criminals, to attract viewers and ultimately make money.

Lee and another cyber wrecker, Jeon Guk-jin, were accused of intimidating Tzuyang in February 2023. They told Tzuyang that they "have received reports regarding your tax evasion and personal life" and wouldn't make it public as long as they were paid.

The cyber wreckers subsequently extorted 55 million won ($39,370) from Tzuyang. Beyond the Tzuyang extortion case, Lee has also been indicted six times for making false statements through his YouTube channel.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]