A Youtuber who was involved in a fatal accident during a high-speed chase with a suspected drunk driver has been sentenced to prison and immediately taken into custody in court.
The court ruled that the Youtuber’s actions were intentional and deemed them ‘private retaliation’ rather than a ‘public interest activity’.
On the 7th, Judge Jeon Hee-sook of the Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 9 sentenced Mr. Choi, a man in his 40s, to 1 year and 6 months in prison. He was indicted on charges including violating the Act on Punishment of Violence, etc. (joint intimidation).
Mr. Choi was indicted without detention for allegedly directly and indirectly causing a fatal traffic accident involving a driver. The incident occurred around 3:50 AM on September 22, 2024, on a road in Sanwol-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju.
Mr. Choi, who ran the YouTube channel ‘Damyang Ori’ (Damyang Duck) focusing on ‘drunk driving hunting,’ reported a sports utility vehicle (SUV) driven by a man in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, to the police as a suspected drunk driving vehicle. He then live-streamed the entire pursuit.
Two other vehicles, driven or occupied by Mr. Choi’s subscribers, also joined the chase. Mr. A, who was being pursued, tragically crashed into a parked large truck and died in a vehicle fire.
Mr. Choi’s charges also included an incident in December 2023 where he allegedly confined a driver, who was not intoxicated, inside their vehicle. The court immediately took Mr. Choi into custody due to concerns he might flee after receiving his prison sentence.
Additionally, 11 subscribers of Mr. Choi’s channel who joined the pursuit were also brought to trial. Each received a sentence of 6 months in prison, suspended for 2 years, along with fines ranging from 1 million to 2 million won.
