Identity of ‘Miryang Sex Crime Perpetrator’ Exposed by YouTuber in His 50s... Continues to Claim ‘Public Interest’ in Appeal

[Financial News] A YouTuber in his 50s who disclosed the identity of a perpetrator in the Miryang Middle School Gang Rape Case on social media platforms (SNS) argued at his appellate trial that his actions were taken in the public interest.
On the 16th, Criminal Division 2-2 of the Seoul Southern District Court, presided over by Presiding Judge Jang Sung-hoon of the Seoul Southern District Court’s Criminal Division 2-2 and joined by Woo Gwan-je and Presiding Judge Kim Ji-suk of the Seoul Southern District Court’s Criminal Division 2-2, held the first appellate hearing for a 57-year-old YouTuber surnamed Choi, who has been indicted on charges of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.
At the hearing, while Choi admitted to the charges, he stressed that he committed the offense for the public good. His attorney stated, “His primary motive was to serve the public interest and to raise issues of public concern,” adding, “Because this case had become a major social issue, he believed the perpetrators’ identities should be disclosed.”
At the same time, the attorney said, “After the offense, he acknowledged his wrongdoing and deleted the videos to prevent further harm,” adding, “He is making efforts to reach a settlement with the victims.”
In his final statement, Choi said, “I am sincerely remorseful,” and, choking up, added, “Because it was the truth, I believed it was in the public interest and in the name of justice. I will live in compliance with the law,” as he pleaded for leniency.
From May to September 2024, Choi allegedly took personal information about a perpetrator in the Miryang Middle School Gang Rape Case—including the perpetrator’s name, the case details, and place of residence—that had been disclosed on the YouTube channel Narak Bogwanso, re-edited it into videos, and posted it on social media, leading to his indictment.
Choi also claimed at the court of first instance that his conduct was in the public interest and that he had no intent to slander. However, the lower court stated, “During the investigation, Choi testified that he posted the videos because he thought the perpetrators should be punished. It is reasonable to view that he uploaded the videos for the purpose of imposing private punishment,” and rejected his arguments, sentencing him to eight months in prison and a fine of 3 million won.
The first-instance court further pointed out, “If private punishment becomes widespread across society, it can undermine the judicial system, so the culpability is not light,” adding, “He disclosed information even about individuals whose involvement in the case had not been confirmed.”
The Miryang Middle School Gang Rape Case refers to a 2004 incident in which 44 male high school students in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province lured a female middle school student living in Ulsan Metropolitan City and repeatedly gang-raped her over the course of about a year. When most of the perpetrators received what were seen as slap-on-the-wrist punishments, sparking nationwide outrage, some YouTubers began disclosing their identities.
psh@fnnews.com Park Sung-hyun Reporter