'Youtuber Talduk Prison sentenced to 10 million won fine for defamation of Kang Daniel in first trial'

The operator of the YouTube channel "Taldeoksuso," who was accused of defamation by spreading various false information related to singer Kang Daniel, was sentenced to a fine of 10 million won in the first trial.

"The name of the YouTube channel operated by the defendant includes the word 'taldeok,' which means 'to stop liking a field or person enthusiastically,' and this alone indicates that it is a channel that publishes negative content," said Judge Lee Joon-koo of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 18 on Nov. 11, noting, "Mr. Park posted provocative and sensational content about famous celebrities on YouTube, which is highly contagious, in order to pursue economic benefits. He should be severely punished for the irreparable harm he has caused to these celebrities and their organizations."

The court also noted that "the defendant has failed to identify the specific circumstances or source of his knowledge of the content of the video. Considering this, it is reasonable to assume that he recognized the content of the video as false," the court said, adding, "However, given the number of videos he posted about the victim (Kang Daniel), the fact that he only posted one video, and the fact that he stopped operating his YouTube channel in June, it is difficult to say that he poses a significant risk of reoffending."

The court also gave reasons for the sentence.

In addition to Kang Daniel, Talduk has been accused of spreading falsehoods and defamation of many other celebrities, including I.V's Jang Won-young, BTS's V, Jungkook, ESP, and EXO's Suho.