“Confined and forced to buy during a trip to Ulleungdo”: Ulleung County considers legal action over “false information” in a YouTuber’s video

[Financial News] A video was posted on YouTube alleging that people had been forced to make purchases and confined while traveling in the Ulleung area of North Gyeongsang Province, and had reported it to the police. Ulleung County rejected the allegations as false. The county is reportedly considering legal action in connection with the video.
On the 29th, Ulleung County said in a statement posted on its website, “A video was recently posted on YouTube claiming that people were subjected to forced purchases, confinement and threats during an Ulleungdo package tour and reported the incident to the police and the Coast Guard.” The county added, “After checking with the relevant agencies, we found that no report related to the claims made in the video had been filed.”
The county said it “plans to pursue legal action over the spread of false information that damages the reputations of local businesses and residents and fuels anxiety among tourists,” and urged people to “refrain from sharing and spreading unverified content.”
Earlier, on the 23rd, a YouTuber uploaded a video claiming that a guide herded 30 passengers into a warehouse and locked them in, then threatened not to hand out ferry tickets unless each person paid 300,000 won. The video said the passengers reported the incident to the police and the Coast Guard and were released.
However, Ulleung County said the video contained no photos or footage to substantiate what happened at the time. A county official said, “Videos like this could seriously damage the region’s image,” adding, “We are considering referring the matter to investigative authorities for an investigation.”
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter