South Korean YouTuber Tzuyang says she was victim of dating violence

SEOUL – South Korean YouTuber Tzuyang said on July 11 that she had been a victim of dating violence for years, stoking a bitter debate over a rise in gender-based violence in South Korea.

With over 10 million subscribers, Tzuyang has become famous for

“mukbang”

videos that show her eating an extraordinary amount of food or unusual dishes.

On July 11, she shocked her fans by telling them her former boyfriend had physically beaten her and sought to extort money from her.

Criminal cases were filed against the former boyfriend, but the cases were closed after he took his own life, her lawyers said in a statement on YouTube.

“(He) hit my body because it would be too obvious in the face,” Tzuyang said in a livestream in the early hours of July 11 that has had more than two million views.

She also accused her former boyfriend of extorting money, which her lawyers said during the livestream had amounted to 4 billion won (S$3.9 million), as well as sharing details of her private life with YouTubers.

Nearly 14,000 people were charged for dating violence in 2023 in South Korea, according to police data, up over 50 per cent from 8,951 in 2020, although only a small number of those were arrested.

Activists have called on lawmakers to strengthen punishment and better protect victims.

In 2022, a South Korean streamer known as Jammi, took her own life after becoming the target of cyber bullying and rumours spread by “cyber wreckers”, or YouTubers who capitalise on sensational topics in South Korea.

They have been accused of amplifying false or misleading information. REUTERS