Prosecutors have filed an appeal after YouTuber 'A,' the operator of the infamous YouTube channel Sojang, was handed a suspended sentence in the first trial for spreading fake news about IVE member Jang Won Young and maliciously defaming other celebrities.
On January 21, the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office announced that it had submitted an appeal against the first-instance verdict, which sentenced 'A' to two years in prison with a three-year probation period for charges including defamation and insult under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection. This means 'A' will not serve any prison time unless 'A' breaks their probation over the three-year period.
In October 2024, during 'A’s sentencing trial, prosecutors had sought a four-year prison term and approximately 200 million KRW (approximately 139,367 USD) in additional fines. Explaining the appeal, prosecutors stated, "The defendant committed a serious crime that inflicted irreparable harm on the victims while earning significant profits exceeding 200 million KRW. Considering the multiple victims and the lack of forgiveness from them, we decided to appeal."
They added, "Prosecutors will continue to respond firmly to malicious content creators, also known as 'cyber wreckers,' to ensure the safety of citizens from such crimes."
'A' was indicted for posting 23 false videos defaming Jang Wonyoung and six other celebrities on YouTube between October 2021 and June 2022.
Of these, 19 videos were particularly insulting, targeting five individuals, and 'A' was additionally charged with disrupting the operations of their agencies. 'A’s YouTube channel reportedly had over 60,000 subscribers, and the videos generated approximately 10 million KRW (approximately 6,971 USD) per month in revenue. The total earnings from the content were estimated at 250 million KRW (approximately 174,267 USD).
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