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YouTuber sentenced to 8 months for doxxing Miryang gang rape perpetrators

Published: 15 Oct. 2025, 14:17 Updated: 15 Oct. 2025, 17:22

YouTube videos doxxing the perpetrators of the so-called Miryang gang rape case [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A YouTuber was given a prison sentence for doxxing perpetrators of the so-called Miryang middle school gang rape case, with the court emphasizing that "taking matters into people's own hands" is neither legal nor justifiable as serving public interest.

The Seoul Southern District Court on Wednesday sentenced a 56-year-old Choi to eight months in prison and a fine of 3 million won ($2,100) for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. The court also ordered Choi’s immediate detention at the sentencing, citing concerns about flight risk.

Choi produced and uploaded a 40-minute video online that included the perpetrators’ names prior to legal name changes, schools they attended and photos of their faces. As a result, their personal information was exposed to an unspecified number of people from May to September last year. Choi reportedly re-edited a video originally uploaded by another YouTube channel, "Narak Archive," which had previously revealed the perpetrators’ identities, and uploaded it to their own channel.

The Miryang gang rape case refers to the 2004 incident in which 44 male high school students lured a middle school girl from Ulsan through online chat and sexually assaulted her over the course of a year. Public outrage grew after most of the perpetrators received lenient punishments, and last year several YouTubers published what they claimed were current addresses and photos of those involved.

Choi appeared in court wearing a T-shirt with a Superman logo. During the trial, Choi argued that the act was not defamatory but intended to serve the public interest, and therefore did not constitute a crime. However, the court rejected that argument, saying Choi’s actions went beyond legitimate criticism and did not qualify as serving the public good.

"The video was uploaded with the intention of preventing the victims [the perpetrators] from participating in society," the judge said in the sentencing. "Private punishment is not permitted under current law and therefore cannot be considered in the public interest."

The court added that the offense was serious, noting, "If such acts were to become widespread, they could undermine the foundation of the judicial system and criminal justice."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM CHUL-WOONG [[email protected]]