Supreme Court upholds suspended prison term for creator who spread fabricated rumors on Ive's Jang Wonyoung

Jang Won-young of IVE poses at Bulgari’s “Holiday Divas’ Dream” pop-up, which opened at the Shinsegae Department Store’s Gangnam branch in Seoul on Dec. 4. (Yonhap)
Jang Won-young of IVE poses at Bulgari’s “Holiday Divas’ Dream” pop-up, which opened at the Shinsegae Department Store’s Gangnam branch in Seoul on Dec. 4. (Yonhap)

Two recent court rulings have cast a spotlight on South Korean YouTube channels that profit from sensationalized or fabricated content while harming reputations and private lives.

In South Korea, "cyber wrecker" is a derogatory label for YouTubers who rapidly produce and upload videos about ongoing controversies, often stitching together unverified claims, edited footage and misleading narratives to maximize views. Like “wreckers,” or privately operated tow trucks that rush to accident scenes, these content creators swarm around incidents to generate engagement.

Over time, the term has expanded to include channels that publicly shame individuals, encourage vigilante justice or monetize defamatory allegations.

One case involves the YouTube channel Taldeok Su-yongso, run by a woman surnamed Park, who was indicted for posting 23 defamatory videos about celebrities, including Ive member Jang Wonyoung, BTS members V and Jungkook, and several other public figures.

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Park's conviction, finalizing a two-year prison sentence, suspended for three years, and the forfeiture of 210 million won ($147,000) in illegal gains.

The YouTube channel gained notoriety for presenting fabricated narratives as fact, often citing anonymous online comments while framing the videos as “public interest.” One video alleged that “because of Jang Won-young’s jealousy, another member’s debut was canceled.”

Prosecutors previously argued that Park’s actions constituted a deliberate and profitable scheme. During her appellate hearing last year, they sought a four-year prison term, saying “there are many victims, and none have forgiven the defendant.”

While Park’s case centered on fabricated celebrity claims, a second ruling addressed a different form of cyber-wrecker behavior: the posting of private information in the name of vigilante justice.

A Seoul court sentenced the YouTube creator behind the channel Narakbogwanso to one year and seven months in prison for disclosing the names, photographs, ages and workplaces of people he claimed were tied to the 2004 Miryang middle school gang rape case. Some of those he identified had never been investigated for the crime.

Prosecutors argued that the disclosures triggered secondary harm and invited viewers to retaliate, amounting to an act of private punishment. Although the operator deleted the videos and ended his channel’s activity when investigations began, the court said the social harm had already taken root.

In sentencing, the judge warned that “cyber wrecker–style conduct has reached a dangerous level,” stressing that even factual information can become damaging when spread without context or legal basis.

The court said such actions can “completely destroy the daily lives of victims and their families” and emphasized that South Korea’s legal system does not permit individuals to impose their own sanctions through mass exposure.

Legal experts say the rulings reflect a broader recognition that such channels blur the line between content creation and targeted harm and that their growth poses long-term risks if left unchecked.

"Both cases highlight an escalating judicial response to an online ecosystem increasingly shaped by speed, outrage and the commercial incentives of platform algorithms," Won Hye-wook, law professor at Inha University.

"As defamation, doxxing and vigilante-style exposes continue to proliferate across Korean social media, the courts should be prepared to draw clearer boundaries around free expression, privacy and accountability in the digital age," he added.


jychoi@heraldcorp.com