A screen capture shows a Monday livestream of YouTuber Sutak (Ko Jin-ho), in which he spoke to his viewers about his recent abduction and attempted murder. (Soop)
A screen capture shows a Monday livestream of YouTuber Sutak (Ko Jin-ho), in which he spoke to his viewers about his recent abduction and attempted murder. (Soop)

Ko Jin-ho, better known as YouTuber “Sutak,” recounted the night he says he was abducted and nearly killed in an Oct. 26 attack by a used-car dealer who owed him money, speaking publicly for the first time Monday during a livestream on video platform Soop.

“As I struggled with them, one man hit my chest and head with a baseball bat inside the car,” Ko said. “It wasn’t something you could do to another human being. He was swinging with the intent to kill.”

The assault occurred around 10:40 p.m. in the parking lot of Ko’s home in Incheon, where he had arranged to meet the dealer, who had promised to return 200 million won ($136,000) that Ko had wired him as a down payment for a new luxury car.

Ko first met the dealer in 2023 after receiving an email offering help with purchasing and reselling high-end vehicles. Earlier this year, while searching for a new car, Ko again sought the dealer’s services — wiring 200 million won and handing over his old vehicle. But the new car never arrived and repayment was repeatedly delayed.

When the two finally met in Ko’s parking lot, the dealer and an accomplice ambushed him, forced him into their vehicle and drove him roughly 200 kilometers to a remote mountainous area in Geumsan, South Chungcheong Province.

Ko said the kidnappers demanded to know how much money he had, suggesting one of them believed Ko would be worth “at least 1 billion won.”

“At that moment, I thought, ‘If you’re going to kill me, please let it be painless,’” he said.

Police were able to identify the suspects’ vehicle using surveillance footage and tracked it overnight. Officers located the men and rescued Ko around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 27.

Ko later shared a blurred photo showing his face swollen and bloodied. He said the attack left him with hearing and vision impairment as well as severe psychological trauma.

“I’m being treated for PTSD. I am terrified when I step outside or when someone walks behind me in the same direction,” he said. Ko surpassed 1 million subscribers after the incident and vowed to continue working.

“I won’t let this stop me,” he said.

The two suspects were arrested and indicted on Nov. 21 on charges including attempted murder, robbery and illegal confinement.

Attempted murder carries a sentence of at least 10 years to life in prison.

Illegal confinement is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 7 million won.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com