Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang Reveals Past Assault and Sexual Abuse...
Accusations of Blackmail by "Rekka YouTubers" Emerge

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Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang (real name Park Jung-won), who boasts 10.1 million subscribers, unexpectedly opened up about her painful past in a live broadcast on the early morning of the 11th. The revelations included assault, blackmail, sexual crimes, and financial exploitation, leaving viewers in shock. Why did Tzuyang, who "wanted to keep it hidden," tearfully share such a story?

Kaseyeon: "Rekka Union Blackmail and Extorted Money from Tzuyang"

The issue first came to light through a YouTube video. On the 10th, a video titled "Tzuyang's Past Blackmail and Extorted Money (feat. Rekka Union)" was uploaded. YouTuber Kim Se-eui stated, “(YouTuber) Goojeyeok records all his phone calls,” and released parts of the 17,000 recorded calls.
The term ‘cyber rekka’ (rekka refers to tow trucks racing to accident scenes) describes YouTubers who spread unverified claims and fake news to increase views.

Conversation on February 20, 2023, between YouTubers Goojeyeok and Jeon Guk-jin:

• Goojeyeok: "It’s incomparable. If we expose this, Tzuyang will have to retire."
• Jeon Guk-jin: "Wouldn't it be better to just pull a few thousand easily?"
• Goojeyeok: "I think we need to get at least 200 million won, in cash."
• Jeon Guk-jin: "Good, good."

According to the call recordings disclosed by Kaseyeon, Goojeyeok and another YouTuber Jeon Guk-jin discussed blackmailing Tzuyang over her past, suggesting they could extract money from her.
Four days later, another call between the two took place.

Conversation on February 24, 2023, between YouTubers Goojeyeok and Jeon Guk-jin:

• Goojeyeok: "We’ve received a total of 11 million won."
• Jeon Guk-jin: "From Tzuyang’s side?"
• Goojeyeok: "Not yet received, but we’re supposed to. I'll give you some too."

Goojeyeok also mentioned that he initially planned to demand 300 million won but couldn’t go through with it because of his conscience. He heard a recording of Tzuyang’s former manager threatening her, saying, "If you resist me one more time, I’ll get you pregnant." Goojeyeok claimed that Tzuyang had been extorted out of 1.3 billion won and that asking for 300 million won seemed excessive. Ultimately, Goojeyeok agreed to take 3 million won from the money received from Tzuyang and not make any videos about her. Kaseyeon reported that Goojeyeok received a total of 55 million won from Tzuyang’s side.

Tzuyang: "I was blackmailed and extorted for four years."

Shortly after Kaseyeon’s broadcast, Tzuyang held a live broadcast titled "I Will Tell You Everything" on the early morning of the 11th. Tzuyang spoke about her ex-boyfriend A, whom she met during a university leave.

“He threatened to distribute illegally filmed videos of me, assaulted me with blunt objects like umbrellas, and forced me to work at a bar, saying all I had to do was serve drinks,” she said. “He took all the money I made.”

Tzuyang started mukbang on YouTube to make a living. “Even after starting the broadcast, I was beaten almost every day,” she said. “When the channel began to grow, A established an agency and forced me to work under it.” She added, “For four of the five years since I started broadcasting, this happened almost daily.”

Tzuyang’s legal representative also released some evidence during the broadcast, including messages sent by A to Tzuyang’s acquaintances, recordings of assault incidents, and photos of injuries caused by the assaults.

Lawyer Kim Tae-yeon stated, "Tzuyang has filed a criminal complaint against A for habitual assault, habitual blackmail, habitual injury, extortion, coercion, and violations of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act," including claims for settlement money, termination of exclusive contracts, and opposition to trademark applications. Kim added, “Considering the numerous charges, a sentence of more than five years was anticipated. However, A subsequently took his own life, resulting in the case being closed with a ‘lack of prosecution’ decision.”

Goojeyeok also offers explanation amid blackmail accusations... "Worked to protect Tzuyang's right to be forgotten."

Following Tzuyang’s live broadcast, criticism mounted against the so-called 'Rekka YouTubers,' particularly Goojeyeok, whose recorded conversations were exposed. Goojeyeok responded by posting an explanation on his YouTube channel’s community page.

He stated, "I swear I did not do anything shameful and tried my best to protect Tzuyang's right to be forgotten," and added, "I will explain how I came to know about Tzuyang’s painful past and how A, her former manager, acted in his final moments." He reiterated, "I did not take any dirty money or engage in any shameful actions," and asked for one day to address the issue, claiming he would emerge victorious as always.

How did Goojeyeok’s call recordings end up in someone else’s hands?

YouTuber Kim Se-eui explained, “Goojeyeok had entrusted his phone to someone through an unsavory route, leading to the exposure of the recordings on his phone.” Goojeyeok stated, “If you listened to the illegally obtained recordings, you would know all the conversations between Tzuyang and me. Yet, to justify themselves, the people who exposed Tzuyang’s painful past to the world will not be forgiven.”

"The True Face of Those Who Claimed to Pursue Justice"

Following these revelations, many online expressed feelings of betrayal. The so-called 'Rekka Union,' mentioned in Kaseyeon’s video, had built their subscriber base by publicly condemning 'bad people' and advocating for justice. Netizens reacted with comments such as, "How can someone extort money by threatening Tzuyang with her past?" and "Both Tzuyang's former manager and the Rekka YouTubers who took money from this situation are despicable."

Among them, 'Karakyula Media,' a channel with 1.26 million subscribers, faced demands for an explanation. Karakyula had gained attention by revealing the identities of offenders in cases like the 'Apgujeong Rolls-Royce Incident' and the 'Busan Seomyeon Kicking Incident.' Recently, basketball player Heo Woong appeared on the channel to share his side of a legal battle with his ex-girlfriend.

According to the call recordings released by Kaseyeon, Karakyula advised Goojeyeok, saying, “From YouTube’s perspective, Tzuyang is a golden goose. The moment you touch her, you become the number one target.” Goojeyeok asked, “From your standpoint, should I just trade her off? Is it better to just make a deal?” to which Karakyula responded, “I would never do it. You have to protect your channel. If you take down Tzuyang and your channel gets wiped out, what will you do?”

As the controversy grew, Karakyula rebutted on the 11th, stating, “It seems like I’m being framed for taking bribes in a private sanction,” and added, “Is this an intentional organized smear campaign against me? Do they want to take this up with me properly?” He further stated, “I swear on my two sons that I have never taken dirty money as a YouTuber.”

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