Direct Suppression of YouTubers Beginning in South Korea?

2017-5-19, Tara O

Youtuber Kim Sang-jin (김상진) was arrested on May 11, 2019.  He is the secretary general of the Freedom Coalition, which produces YouTube videos on the Sangjin Aje (상진아재) YouTube channel.  As of May 17, 2019, it had 64,420 subscribers, but it probably had less subscribers at the time of arrest The police seized his mobile phones and various equipment and peripherals related to making YouTube videos.  They then arrested and jailed Kim Sang-jin. While numerous mainstream TV channels, such as JTBC, portrayed Kim negatively, with this arrest, the Moon administration showed it is actively cracking down on the YouTube community in South Korea.  As such, his arrest has shocked the YouTube community.

Kim Sang-jin was live streaming a personal protest outside the condo complex of the Seoul Central District Chief Prosecutor, Yoon Seok-yeol (윤석렬). Kim was arrested for “threatening the life of Yoon” with 2 eggs that he held in his hand.  Yoon was nowhere in sight in the YouTube video.

Another YouTuber Ye Ga in her YouTube program titled “Rat Poison Innocent; Eggs Guilty,” explained that Yoon Seok-ryeol, Seoul Central District Chief Prosecutor, did not release Park Geun-hye from jail despite her suffering from chronic lower back problems and worsening health condition. [Park Geun-hye is still under a trial/appeal, and she has already exceeded the maximum number of days she can be held in jail while on trial.]  Kim Sang-jin was pointing out Prosecutor Yoon’s unfair and inhumane handling of the situation.

National Assemblyman Kim Jin-tae, Liberty Korea Party, said that Kim Sang-jin, who was rallying to urge the government to do its jobs fairly, was arrested and jailed, and lamented “’Left not guilty, Right guilty’ has now become a formula.”

Representative Kim is referring to the rat poison sent to the former president Lee Myung-bak two months ago.  A man who sent rat poison to Lee Myung-bak on March 12, 2019 was not even charged.  He tried to deliver the rat poison in person, telling the security guards at Lee’s residence that he brought medicine for Lee. After the security guards refused, he then sent the poison via delivery service, and was quite pleased that he found this alternate way.

The prosecutor can simply download the YouTube video in question, since the live stream video is on YouTube.  However, they seized Kim Sang-jin’s video making equipment. Days prior to Kim’s arrest, the prosecutor and investigators seized not only Kim Sang-jin’s personal property at his home, but the properties that belong to others at the studio where the YouTube videos are normally made.  Confiscated are:

From Kim Sang-jin’s residence (by a team of 20 investigators): (20:28)

• Kim Sang-jin’s mobile phones, x4
• Kim Sang-jin’s old PC (that he has not used in 3 years)
• Kim Sang-jin’s daughter’s mobile phone

From Freedom Coalition Studio: (2:16)

• Freedom Coalition’s (FC) broadcast transmission computers and equipment
• FC’s tripods, x4
• FC’s camcorder, x2
• FC’s lighting equipment, x2
• FC’s audio mixer
• FC’s condenser microphone
• FC’s attached devices, x3
• FC’s LG 27” monitor
• FC’s Samsung 27” monitor

• Editor’s personal property DSLR
• Editor’s personal property camera lens
• Editor’s personal property memory card
• Editor’s personal property HDMI conversion cable

At the Freedom Coalition’s office when the equipment was confiscated, Kim Sang-jin asked the prosecutor/investigators to show their identification, but they refused or blocked the camera that was recording their equipment seizure. He wondered why the prosecutor even needed these pieces of equipment.  Another Freedom Coaltion member asked whether the investigators are ashamed of what they were doing. (4:02) (The picture part was blurred in the video at the request of the prosecutor team.)  He repeatedly told them the equipment was not Kim Sang-jin’s personal property, but the majority belongs to the Freedom Coalition, but to no avail. (4:18)  The Freedom Coaltion member told them “I don’t know exactly what order you received, but you’re just executing it.  I think you’re thinking this is unreasonable and it really shouldn’t be done, but you’re implementing it in a machine-like manner.” (5:47)

National Assemblyman Kim Jin-tae said, “During the search and seizure process, it is abuse of authority to take equipment used to make YouTube videos that are not related to the crime charged and to prevent the channel broadcasting.”

A coalition of lawyer groups stated that “the government’s Youtube repression method was ‘YouTuber arrest.’”  They also found it more than a coincidence that Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon (박원순), JTBC President Sohn Seok-hee (손석희), National Assemblyman Woo Won-shik (우원식) of the Deobureo Minju Party/Democratic Party of Korea, and National Assemblywoman Seo Young-kyo (서영교) of the Deobureo Minju Party/Democratic Party of Korea–all filed a criminal lawsuit against Kim Sang-jin at or near the same time frame.  They criticized especially the public officials for not dealing with the criticisms by refuting or clarifying, but rather suing a citizen.

The lawyer group further stated:

YouTube broadcast is the only breathing space where citizens can see and hear the truth and the cries about the distorted South Korean media. This case is not a matter of one person, Kim Sang-jin, but a problem of all Korean citizens, and those YouTubers who are struggling to make known the hidden truth.  The government’s oppression of Youtube began with an astonishing method of “YouTuber detention.” The government should stop suppressing YouTube [programs and people] and start listening to voices of citizens crying out to save the crumbling Republic of Korea.

On May 16, 2019, Kim was released after posting ₩30 million (~$25,000).  The fact that he was released was a surprise to many, since many who have been arrested and are under trial are not released, despite the principle of not jailing people while they go through trials.

There are other bail conditions for Kim Sang-jin.  By contrast, Kim Kyoung-soo, who was found guilty of massive online opinion manipulation often referred to as the “Druking” case was freed on bail with practically no conditions.  Kim Kyoung-soo was a top aid to then-candidate Moon Jae-in during the 2017 presidential elections, who later went on to become the governor of South Gyeonggi Province.

Camcorder, broadcast transmission computers, and other equipment to make YouTube videos apparently have not been returned.