YouTuber says police did not consider her a victim
The Korean National Police Agency on Monday addressed the recent reassignment of investigators handling allegations made by YouTuber Tzuyang that she is being stalked by an independent journalist, saying there had been a misunderstanding on the part of the alleged victim.
Tzuyang, whose real name is Park Jeong-won, recently accused police of unfairly conducting the stalking investigation of Kim Se-eui, the operator of the far-right YouTube channel Hoverlab who has made multiple unconfirmed claims about Park's personal life. Park has sought criminal charges against Kim for defamation and stalking.
Police in February decided not to forward the case to prosecutors, citing a lack of evidence, but the prosecution ordered a supplementary investigation on the matter after Park challenged the decision.
Park appeared at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station for questioning on April 16, but refused the probe and left just 40 minutes later, with her attorney Kim Tae-yeon saying police did not conduct a fair and neutral investigation based on objective facts. Park alleged police "did not appear to regard her as a victim, with no intent to protect her."
"It is not our place to discuss the attitude of Tzuyang, but we do express regrets over the controversy involving the two sides, and there has been a misunderstanding. ... (Park) was concerned over fairness of the investigation, and we reassigned (new investigators) to address this and for a comprehensive assessment on the case," KNPA officials said in a press briefing.
Park accepted the reassignment.
Park, one of the most popular online personalities here with nearly 12 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, has been involved in a legal battle over what she has described as Kim's distribution of misinformation about her and her acquaintances.
The legal proceedings are related to the 2024 revelation via Kim's channel about blackmail against Park, in which YouTubers conspired with Park's ex-boyfriend to extort cash from her in exchange for not revealing her past employment as a host at a bar.
Park said that her work at the bar was due to violence and coercion by her then-boyfriend.
A February ruling by the Suwon District Court found them guilty of blackmail, with the ex-boyfriend and YouTuber Goo Je Yeok — whose real name is Lee Jun-hee — receiving a prison term, while the other three were slapped with suspended terms and a fine. All of them have since appealed the ruling.
But Kim's channel claimed that Park's explanation of the case was false, making new allegations of supposed tax evasion.
Park has claimed that the video and posts by Hoverlab invoked victim-blaming by the public, inflicting substantial damage upon her.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
