SK Group chief sues YouTuber for defamation

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won filed a defamation lawsuit against a YouTube channel, saying the channel has spread false information about his private life.

According to local media reports Tuesday, Chey filed a criminal complaint with the Yongsan Police Station, accusing the channel of violating slander laws.

He claimed that the channel, which mainly covers the private lives of celebrities and high-profile businesspeople, aired false information about his past, relatives and his romantic relationship with Kim Hee-young, the head of the T&C Foundation, in an episode posted in August.

In a complaint filed to the police, Chey argued that the video was based on false information collectively distributed by malicious online users a few years ago. All the perpetrators were penalized for their actions, he added, with some having to pay close to 100 million won ($86,200) in compensation.

The channel in question was opened in February and has amassed a following of more than 140,000 subscribers with provocative titles and unconfirmed information about high-profile figures.

Industry insiders speculate the channel’s owners have secured a significant amount of income from the videos, considering that some have more than 2 million views. The video on Chey was viewed more than 1.4 million times.

Previously, the chairman took legal measures against right-wing YouTube channel Garo-Sero Research Center and another video streamer, leading the two to either delete the problematic video or post a correction notice for viewers.

By Kang Jae-eun (kang.jaeeun@heraldcorp.com)