YouTuber who spread false claims about May 18 uprising, Itaewon crowd crush arrested

Police have arrested a YouTuber suspected of spreading false claims, including that the May 18 pro-democracy uprising was a riot instigated by North Korean troops and that the Itaewon crowd crush was a staged event.

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency's cyber investigation unit said Monday it had apprehended the suspect, identified only as A, on charges including violations of the Framework Act on Telecommunications for posting videos containing false information.

A is accused of uploading videos to his YouTube channel from March onward claiming that "the May 18 uprising was a riot caused by North Korean troops" and that "the Itaewon crowd crush was not an accidental incident but a meticulously planned and staged production."

According to police, A used generative AI in producing the videos and was aware that their content was false, but continued posting them to drive up views and generate revenue.

The videos accumulated more than 1.2 million views combined between March and May. A operated two YouTube channels, each with around 20,000 subscribers.

Police applied for a pre-indictment restraining order on the 250 million won ($181,000) in criminal proceeds A is believed to have earned from the videos, and the full amount was approved for seizure.

"Spreading false information goes beyond defaming victims and their families — it propagates a distorted understanding of history throughout society," a Busan Metropolitan Police Agency official said. "We will conduct a strict investigation in accordance with the law against the deliberate production and dissemination of clearly false information."