Arrest warrants requested for two women charged with extorting YouTuber Tzuyang

Police requested arrest warrants for two women who allegedly extorted over 200 million won ($148,620) from YouTuber Tzuyang by threatening to expose her past.

Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang explains controversies surrounding her in a video on July 11. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Police requested arrest warrants for two women who allegedly extorted over 200 million won ($148,620) from YouTuber Tzuyang by threatening to expose her past.

Seoul Gangnam Police Station requested the warrants last Thursday for the women in their 20s and 30s on charges of extortion, police said Monday.

A warrant review session for the case is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at 10:40 a.m. at the Seoul Central District Court.

“My ex-boyfriend mentioned the two women three years ago, saying they were threatening him,” Tzuyang said in a YouTube video in July. “We decided to keep them quiet with my money, upon which my producer met them, handing over 216 million won over a period of two years."

The mukbang (eating show) YouTuber's producer filed a complaint to the police in July, upon which the police began their investigation.

The women allegedly threatened Tzuyang from July 2021 to November 2022, saying they would expose her “controversial” past.

Tzuyang's ex-boyfriend, who was also the representative of her agency at the time, allegedly exploited her both financially and sexually and extorted more than 4 billion won over four years, according to the YouTuber.

YouTuber GooJeYeok, legal name is Lee Jun-hee was indicted and detained on Aug. 28 for allegedly extorting Tzuyang out of tens of millions of won through blackmail.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]