“When are you going to sell your six homes?” YouTuber accused of stalking Jang Dong-hyeok claims “legitimate reporting” in court

[Financial News] Progressive YouTubers who were indicted on suspicion of violating the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes after following People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok and asking him about his ownership of multiple homes denied the charges at their first hearing. They maintain that their actions were legitimate reporting.
According to legal sources on the 12th, the Seoul Southern District Court’s Criminal Division 9 (single judge Ko So-young) held the first hearing that morning for Choi and Park, hosts of the YouTube channel “Jeongchi Hanjan Nabal Dongnipgun,” who were indicted on charges including violating the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes.
They are accused of repeatedly following Jang at his public events about 27 times from late last year to early this year, asking, “When are you going to sell your six homes?”
Choi and Park’s defense denied all the charges in the indictment that day. Their lawyer said, “The defendants’ actions were legitimate reporting,” adding, “Even if they amounted to stalking, they were legitimate actions that did not run counter to social norms.”
They also argued that Jang should be called to testify in person, saying that most of the records submitted as evidence contained statements from aides and others, while there was no statement from Jang himself, who was said to have been harmed.
The defendants’ lawyer said, “There is also video of the alleged victim approaching the defendant directly and asking to shake hands,” adding, “There are matters that need to be confirmed directly with the person involved.”
The court is expected to decide at a later date whether to call Jang as a witness.
Meanwhile, all videos related to the charges in this case have been deleted from Choi and the others’ YouTube channels.


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