Disgraced YouTuber found dead in apparent suicide

Former journalist and YouTuber Kim Yong-ho / Newsis

A scandal-tarnished YouTuber was found dead in an apparent suicide at a hotel in the southeastern port city of Busan on Thursday, police said.

Kim Yong-ho, a former entertainment reporter who appeared on famous YouTube channels and ran his own YouTube channel, was found dead by a hotel employee on the fourth floor of the hotel in Busan's Haeundae district around 1 p.m.

Speculating that Kim may have taken his own life, police cordoned off the scene and are investigating the exact circumstances surrounding his death. He reportedly checked into a room on the 11th floor of the hotel.

On Wednesday, Kim was sentenced by a Busan court to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, on charges of sexually harassing a woman at a Haeundae restaurant in July 2019.

Kim was also facing an arrest warrant hearing on suspicion of receiving money from some celebrities in exchange for not exposing their weaknesses. (Yonhap)