YouTuber Kagwang's firm sees sales jump sixfold amid abuse allegations

The company run by YouTuber Kagwang — whose real name is Lee Sang-il and who faces allegations of abusing a woman suspected of having an intellectual disability — posted sales of more than 4 billion won ($2.99 million) last year, according to financial data.

Financial records from Nice Information Service provided by Saramin show that Dongmunseodap recorded sales of 4.06 billion won in 2025, up 497.5 percent from 680.11 million won in 2024. Operating profit over the same period reached 1.41 billion won, reflecting sharp growth.

Dongmunseodap is a media content production company established Jan. 10, 2024, with initial capital of 1 million won.

The abuse allegations against Kagwang first drew wide public attention after they surfaced during a national audit session. During a live internet broadcast from Thailand in October, Kagwang broke the crutches of a woman appearing alongside him and forced her to drink alcohol, drawing fierce criticism for behavior widely described as abusive.

Kagwang denied the allegations, saying the woman had been briefed on the content in advance and had given her consent. In a statement released Oct. 29, Kagwang said the woman was paid an average of 400,000 won per broadcast day and announced plans to submit relevant chat records to investigators.

After returning to South Korea, the woman appeared again on Kagwang's broadcast and said there had been no abuse and that the scenes in question had been staged.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit is conducting a pre-indictment investigation to determine whether charges of coercion, unlawful confinement or assault can be established, based on broadcast footage and statements from those involved. The Ministry of Justice banned Kagwang from leaving the country at the request of police.