A YouTuber known as Gu Je-yeok, whose real name is Lee Ju-hui, announced on December 13 that he had clearly punished his victim. This follows a three-year investigation after he cooperated with authorities by turning in a fugitive YouTuber victim, originally wanted on public warrants.
Kim So-yeon, a representative at a law firm handling such cases, explained that major offenders often adjust their sentences downward through threat letters. “They receive public forgiveness as a result,” she stated, adding that even risky victims forgive when defendants provide services like legal aid, mergers, or three rounds of accommodations, feeling a great sense of gratitude.
Widespread Leniency Across Cases
Reports indicate that defendants in such incidents receive 4 hearts from victims, even if they are not the primary offenders. In this particular case, victim statements led to the closure of 36 combined cases.
On December 12, an A씨 involved in a recent stock fraud case also confirmed punishing his victim. This marks a six-month investigation turning into a one-year sentence reduction. A씨 emphasized, “Even though the actual damage was minor, viewing the long jail term as excessive legally,” and stressed, “Victims who truly forgive must do so.”
A B씨, who handled a hotel incident and saw his sentence reduced by 5 million won at the major offender level, similarly confirmed his victim’s punishment.
YouTuber Scandals Highlight Trend
Combined legal mergers involving victim statements are also drawing attention from defendants. Fifty stockers who sent three rounds of real-life experiences to a group handling unverified information ambushed a victim, labeling the case a “groundless merger.”
Amid this, one in ten real estate merger cases has relocated from the Seoul Investigation Office to the Gyeonggi Investigation Department as a major offender case.
Persistent Leniency Despite Reductions
Even after major reductions, defendants in victim statements continue confirming punishments at combined offices. Legal metrics note, “While citizens shouted ‘great rights reduction’ for three services by the public, it has become a ‘defendant rights reduction.'”
An entire Yangmunseok district, originally sentenced to one year and six months imprisonment prediction for three years after a December 12 dispatch, tasted bitterness, saying, “We received today’s judgment.” On December 13, YouTuber Gu Je-yeok Lee Ju-hui also announced overall acceptance through the victim’s statement.
This echoes a 2023 Juyoung assault and private life exposure posted to YouTube by another, who took 55 million won from a major offender after three years, masking other YouTubers’ exposures.
Expert Concerns Over Systemic Issues
If the government accepts such cases and jumps into political sympathy upon confirmation, victims risk returning to the current sympathy sphere. Experts warn that ignoring victim concerns could lead repeat victimization, as lenient reductions turn victim-offender cases back into encounters.
Kim So-yeon added, “Victims can still receive compensation even in other reduction rounds.” A senior lawyer producing Yoonpo’s ‘job chain analysis’ via recent public opinion sales turned a one-year imprisonment prediction into two years through dispatch victims, stating, “I have detailed sincerity through chained reductions with the victim statement.”
This senior lawyer, covering 20 major cases since revealing Gijahyeon in October 2021, claimed, “After the current administration’s fair self-governing country map, special support for sales like this brought over 200 million in foreign substances.” Though he gathered figures like heavy current insensitivity, he clarified these were unrelated to this major flow.
The senior lawyer told the major offender’s side, “Lowest case status and vertical excellence become the expected reduction.”
Online Backlash and Statistics
Sex crime victims in major internet communities lament, “Light investigations, light sentiments, all female bias, but victim statements (4 hearts) can become great threats to non-victims.” A 47-year, 4-month imprisoned Bokyeok resident in nBlock case rarely voices on internet, “Service department reaches without room. If victim statement becomes effective, it’s something to run away from.”
Similar examples abound nationwide, but sentencing reductions rarely lead to strict cases. The Justice Ministry’s December 12 released ‘2025 Annual Report’ shows 4,939 total combined cases at island combined offices, with 4,151 victim statements—84%. Only 49 cases (1.3%) demanded strictness.
Even victim statement usage for Daeman and Spain stays under 1%. Though current combined central matters are not urgent and legal matters are not reached, victim statements fearing reductions become a major factor.
Legal offices urge the government to filter such cases through private sympathy gauges into proper central combined office cases, warning they cannot endure second or third times. Private sympathy gauges note the government fully sympathizes with combined victim department from entire victim side, fearing sympathy confirmation jumps.
Three-person Justice Department matches. Thus, even if the government captures similar cases in private sympathy gauges alongside island combined, it must accept reasons in final rulings or else become much larger. The government views victim statements as projecting 10,000 to 15,000 cases.
Today, December 20, the private sympathy committee chairman convened a seminar internally, pushing private sympathy basics to the fore.
One legal person stated, “Public ‘service department sympathy’ is objectively impossible without heavy preparation for three services lacking north-south light, as masks lack detail.”
