YouTuber Gujeyeok cleared of extortion charges; case referred to prosecution

YouTuber Gujeyeok arrives at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office on July 26 for a pre-trial detention hearing at the Suwon District Court. Yonhap

YouTuber Gujeyeok (real name Lee Jun-hee), who was previously arrested for blackmailing and extorting money from famous "mukbang" (a host who consumes vast quantities of food during live broadcasts) YouTuber star Tzuyang, has been cleared of additional extortion charges involving another broadcaster after the police determined the money in question was simply a donation.

Songpa Police Station in Seoul decided not to refer the case against Gujeyeok to the prosecution, citing insufficient evidence. The police concluded that the money given to Gujeyeok by BJ Suit, whose real name is Suh Hyeon-min, was a "voluntary donation rather than a coerced payment."

Suh, who previously went by the name Suit while broadcasting on AfreecaTV, has accused Gujeyeok of extortion. Suh alleged that Gujeyeok threatened to release a damaging video unless Suh covered Gujeyeok’s legal fees, amounting to 22 million won ($19,000).

Despite receiving the money, Gujeyeok allegedly published the video on YouTube, leading to additional charges of fraud.

In 2021, Suh faced allegations of receiving significant investments from other broadcasters ahead of a planned cryptocurrency issuance, intending to promote the coin through internet broadcasts and profit from the trading margin.

An image of Gujeyeok released by Tzuyang / Captured from Tzuyang's YouTube channel

On June 25 and 27 of that year, Gujeyeok published videos on his YouTube channel, disclosing the names of individuals who had invested in Suh's cryptocurrency and raising these allegations. These videos were removed after Suh transferred 22 million won to Gujeyeok's account on Oct. 20.

The police, however, determined that the evidence did not support the extortion or fraud allegations, viewing the payment as "sponsorship" rather than coercion.

The investigation, which began in February after Suh filed a complaint, lasted approximately four months. The police concluded that Suh and Gujeyeok were business partners, and the money given to Gujeyeok appeared to be a donation.

Suh, however, rejected the police's conclusion, arguing that the money was given to silence Gujeyeok, not as a donation. Suh highlighted a KakaoTalk conversation from Oct. 20, where he asked Gujeyeok for his bank account details and requested the removal of two videos. The videos were deleted after the money was transferred.

The police reviewed these messages and determined that Suh did not appear to be coerced to the extent required for extortion under the Supreme Court's guidelines. For a threat to constitute extortion, it must either restrict a person's freedom to make decisions or scare them enough to hinder their ability to act freely.

Suh filed an objection on July 19, demanding prosecutors to investigate. Suh criticized the police for not investigating why Gujeyeok did not report the money as a donation and why he requested it to cover legal fees.

The case has now been assigned to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office. The prosecution is also investigating other related extortion allegations involving YouTuber Caracula (real name Lee Sae-wook) and a lawyer representing Tzuyang's former boyfriend.

On Friday, the Suwon District Court issued the arrest warrants after questioning Gujeyeok and Jujakgambeolsa (real name Jeon Kuk-jin), on charges of blackmail, threats and extortion against Tzuyang.

Mukbang YouTube star Tzuyang, right, reveals how she was blackmailed by Gujeyeok on her YouTube channel on July 18. Captured from Tzuyang's YouTube channel

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.