YouTubers who spread fake news about 900,000 barrels of Ulsan crude oil 'shipped to North Korea' referred to prosecutors

By Kim Do-yoon, The Herald Business

Two YouTubers accused of spreading fabricated claims that 900,000 barrels of crude oil had been smuggled to North Korea have been referred to prosecutors.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's cybercrime investigation unit said Monday it had investigated the operators of six accounts that posted false claims on YouTube alleging that "approximately 900,000 barrels of crude oil stored at the Ulsan oil reserve had been shipped abroad and transferred to North Korea." The posts appeared after oil prices rose following the outbreak of the US-Iran war in March. Police arrested four of the account operators.

Two suspects whose investigations are complete were referred to prosecutors Monday without detention on charges of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, violation of the Framework Act on Telecommunications, and obstruction of business.

"We will strictly investigate the production and spread of malicious and clearly false information that causes social disorder, in accordance with the law and principles," a police official said.