Quarrel between YouTubers end with murder

A male YouTuber in his 50s killing another male YouTuber around the same age was broadcast live in front of a court in downtown Busan during the day. The police are investigating to find out the crime motive based on the belief that the two YouTubers slandered each other online, which led to dozens of lawsuits and ended with a murder.

According to the Yeonje Police Station in Busan on Thursday, multiple reports were received regarding a YouTuber surnamed Hong wielding a deadly weapon against a man surnamed Cho on a pedestrian street in front of the Busan District Court in Yeonje-gu, Busan at 9:52 a.m. on the same day. Cho bled too much and was found in cardiac arrest and transferred to a nearby university hospital with an ambulance worker performing CPR. He died at 11:04 am. Cho was doing a live broadcast on YouTube, and the sound of his groan with pain after the attack was broadcast even though the attack wasn’t.

Hong was caught by police officers in Gyeongju at 11:35 a.m., one hour and 40 minutes after his crime. Hong was scheduled to attend a trial to be held in the Busan District Court on Thursday morning for a lawsuit made by Cho against Hong. The police suspect that Cho visited the court to observe Hong’s trial and was attacked.

The police believe that it was a premeditated crime as Hong purchased a weapon in a supermarket in Busan the day before his crime and rented a car for escape and is investigating the exact crime motive. The police plan to request an arrest warrant for Hong’s murder.

A number of experts say that it is time to discuss necessary regulations as quarrels started online led to murder.


부산=김화영 기자 run@donga.com