[Kagwang's YouTube channel]
[Kagwang's YouTube channel]

South Korean authorities have banned YouTuber Kagwang, who has 470,000 subscribers, from leaving the country as police investigate allegations that he abused and exploited a woman suspected of having an intellectual disability.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit obtained a travel ban against Kagwang from the Ministry of Justice to facilitate the investigation into the allegations.

The allegations surfaced last month when posts appeared on online communities and social media from someone who identified themselves as a lawyer representing the victim. The posts claimed that Kagwang and several broadcast associates had subjected a woman with a suspected intellectual disability to abuse and exploitation over several months under the guise of producing content. According to the claims, Kagwang broke the victim's crutches while she was recovering from artificial hip replacement surgery during a broadcast filmed in Thailand, and forced her to restrict meals, go without sleep and drink alcohol to generate viewer donations. The posts further alleged that the woman was prevented from leaving even after she expressed a wish to go home, and that more than 10 million won ($7,450) was taken from her under the pretense of broadcast appearances and viewer donations.

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Ye-ji urged a thorough investigation at a national audit of the Korean National Police Agency held before the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on Oct. 26. "If someone sold footage of suspected human rights violations against a vulnerable woman and profited from it as content, that would be an extremely serious matter," Kim said. Kim Jong-cheol, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, said authorities would verify the facts.

Kagwang has denied the allegations, saying the woman does not have an intellectual disability, participated in the broadcasts voluntarily, signed a contract in advance and agreed to the terms of penalties and revenue sharing. Kagwang's side said some penalty footage had been edited out of context to make it appear as though the broadcasts involved tormenting a disabled woman, calling that characterization false.

Kagwang's YouTube channel was permanently removed Oct. 29 for violating YouTube's community guidelines.


paq@heraldcorp.com