A South Korean YouTuber suspected of spreading false claims that large numbers of mutilated bodies had been found in South Korea has announced his intention to naturalize as a Japanese citizen.
Cho, 33, who operates the YouTube channel "Korean Teacher Daebojjang" with 950,000 subscribers, said in a recently posted video that he had wanted to become Japanese for the past seven years.
"If I give up my South Korean citizenship, my name will be removed from the family registry — I needed the courage to disappear from the family record," Cho said, adding that he had kept putting it off but now felt the time had come.
Appearing mindful of the ongoing investigation against him for spreading false information, he said, "If I am investigated, indicted and found guilty, my naturalization application may not be approved." Under Japanese nationality law, a criminal record can adversely affect a naturalization application.
On Oct. 22 last year, Cho uploaded a video to his channel titled "The problem of murder and organ trafficking by undocumented Chinese criminals who recently entered South Korea without visas is serious." In the video, he claimed that 37 bodies consisting only of lower halves had been found in South Korea, that 150 cases were under secret investigation, and that 80,000 people were missing in the country — all unverified false claims.
As the false information spread, police determined it constituted "a serious act harmful to the national interest" and launched an investigation into Cho in November of that year. In March, police referred Cho to prosecutors without detention on charges of violating the Framework Act on Telecommunications, and filed a pre-indictment motion to preserve the seizure of approximately 3.5 million won ($2,430) in alleged criminal proceeds.
Article 47, Paragraph 2 of the Framework Act on Telecommunications stipulates that anyone who spreads false information using telecommunications equipment for the purpose of benefiting themselves or others, or causing harm to others, may be sentenced to up to three years in prison or fined up to 30 million won.
paq@heraldcorp.com
