Neglected 'cyberwrecker' gets views with video of secondary assault

The criticism of YouTubers who conspired to blackmail celebrity "Mukbang (eating show)" creator Tzuyang under the pretext of revealing her relationship violence case has not subsided. There are growing calls for public sanctions and platform-level regulation of what are known as "cyber wreakers" (people who profit from making videos about negative issues online).

Cyber wreaker YouTubers mainly make money from summarizing negative events and creating expository content. They often skip the fact-checking process and quickly post inaccurate information or sensationalized videos to gain views and subscribers through "passing fad."

The YouTubers who allegedly threatened Tzuyang have been "secondarily victimizing" her by reproducing her content after the case was reported in the media. They have continued to post videos stating that they will "voluntarily appear before the prosecutors" or "explain themselves" after the prosecutors have begun their investigation, which also leads to their profits.

A related video posted by the alleged perpetrator, YouTuber "Gujeyeok," on July 12 last month has been viewed more than 950,000 times. The YouTuber who exposed the threats, "Garosero Research Institute" (Gaseyeon), also allegedly did not ask for Tzuyang's consent before posting the video, leading many to criticize it, saying that it was a secondary victimization and that we should not consume the video.

This "race for views" has also led to extreme crimes. In May, a YouTuber killed another YouTuber in front of the Busan District Court building. In April, a YouTuber was arrested for extortion after blackmailing an acquaintance of the perpetrator of the "Apgujeong Rolls Royce incident," who drove a car while high on drugs and hit a passerby, killing him.

"The fact that YouTube rewards illegal YouTubers with silver and gold buttons gives them an implicit message that they should prioritize financial gain," said Yoo Hyun-jae, a professor at Sogang University's School of Media and Communication. In a survey conducted by the Korea Press Foundation in February last year, 92.6 percent of respondents cited "unethical behavior of content producers" as a factor in why they believe cyber wreckers are not being eradicated.

The problem is that there are no institutional means to regulate them. YouTube is not broadcasting, so it is not subject to broadcasting laws and operates on a self-regulatory basis with virtually no enforcement. Concerns have been raised that YouTube does not adequately sanction illegal and hateful content. "YouTube is not only aiding and abetting illegal content, but it's sympathetic to it," Yoo said, "and it's unfortunate that it only briefly discusses sanctions when these issues come up."

Apart from the enactment of the “Online Violence Prevention Act,” experts believe that active government intervention is necessary. "The problems within the YouTube ecosystem are becoming increasingly serious, so direct regulation by the government is necessary," said Yoo Seung-hyun, a professor at Hanyang University's Graduate School of Journalism and Information. "The government can manage and supervise the platforms, or create governance such as a user committee to discuss with users."

Others cautioned against relying solely on increased regulation. "Rather than prioritizing the enactment of new laws, such as the creation of unconditional punishments, the problem of cyber awreckers can be solved through a multifaceted approach," said Yang Jeong-ae, a senior researcher at the Korea Press Foundation. "Creators should be ethically conscious when creating content, and audiences should be educated to selectively accept harmful content."

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.