Hostilities get out of hand as YouTuber murders another outside courthouse

The Busan police on Friday requested an arrest warrant for a YouTuber in his 50s, accused of stabbing to death another YouTuber whom he was quarreling with in front of a local court.

The suspect surnamed Hong is accused of murdering the victim surnamed Jo, also in his 50s, in front of the Busan District Court in Yeonje-gu, Busan, at around 9:52 a.m. on Thursday. The suspect fled the scene afterward but was captured by police at around 11:35 a.m. in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, some 70 kilometers away.

The attack resulted in the victim going into cardiac arrest and dying an hour later despite receiving medical treatment at a nearby hospital.

The two had been at odds for several years, openly criticizing each other through videos on their respective YouTube channels, both of which have subscribers in the thousands. Hong claimed that the hostilities started when the victim publicly criticized his wife, but Jo attributed the feud to Hong's supposed slander and financial extortion of him.

The incident got out of hand when Hong assaulted the victim in February of this year, resulting in their presence required at the court for legal proceedings.

The investigation found that Hong purchased a 35-centimeter-long kitchen knife a day before the court appearance, leading officials to believe that it was a planned crime. The perpetrator obtained the location of the victim by watching his live broadcast, which he commenced moments before going to the court.