YouTuber Gwak Hyeol-su, who has about 210,000 subscribers, made a courageous confession that he was sexually assaulted by a taxi driver last year and urged, "The world should not be one in which victims hide."
On the 2nd Gwak Hyeol-su uploaded a video to his YouTube channel titled "It took a long time to bring these words up." He said, "From now on I want to take better care of my mental health and also make videos about taking care of my physical health," and revealed the horrific thing that happened to him a year ago.
He said he was sexually assaulted by a taxi driver at around 2 a.m. on May 23 last year. At the time he was returning home from a drinking party and was heavily intoxicated; the taxi driver parked in the parking lot of Gwak Hyeol-su's home, then got into the back seat and committed the crime. He recalled the painful moment, "I struggled because it hurt so much and was so painful at that moment, but then I blacked out. This kind of incident happened." He also said he tried not to cry because he did not want to be misunderstood as trying to "squeeze money" by crying, but tears kept coming.
Gwak Hyeol-su said, "I am a YouTuber who shares my daily life, but I spent 331 of 365 days of the year crying," and confessed that after the incident he received gynecological treatment for more than a year and suffered serious physical aftereffects.
He said, "I took so many antibiotics and medicines that my body was completely ruined. The drugs were so strong. I get my period twice a month. Also my hair started falling out like crazy. Now everything is ruined," lamenting. He said he also suffers mentally from panic disorder, seizures, depression, anxiety, lethargy and hyperventilation, adding, "Pretending to be cheerful in front of the camera was too exhausting. Resting didn't help my life. Speaking in front of the camera became harder. I feel so wronged. The lawsuit is not over yet. I am in a very difficult state. My cheerful appearance in videos felt so contrived. I decided to go to psychiatry tomorrow."
He said he was especially more hurt by the time he lived hiding the fact of the assault and by the investigation process. Gwak Hyeol-su said, "Honestly, I am a sexual assault victim, but I don't know why I should hide it. I didn't commit a crime as an assailant, so why should I live hiding like this? Even so, when I thought that if I told people I was sexually assaulted they would feel sorry for me and think, 'She was sexually assaulted,' I kept enduring and lived as a YouTuber." He said, "Yesterday I had a severe panic attack," explaining he was having a hard time with seizures, hyperventilation, depression and anxiety. He also confessed there was a suicide attempt, which drew sympathy.
Gwak Hyeol-su also said he immediately reported to the police the day after the incident but claimed he experienced secondary victimization during the investigation. He tearfully said, "The police asked me, 'Why didn't you report it right away when you were raped?' Do they think if someone experiences it themselves they could report it right away?" He added, "No. I did report as soon as I woke up in bed, but nothing changed. I feel like only I became more miserable. I feel like I'm trapped in a 165cm box. What did I do wrong? I just took a taxi because I missed the last train."
Saying, "After that incident, brightness disappeared for me," Gwak Hyeol-su said he gained courage from the empathy and support of women who suffered similar harm. He said, "You must go to the Sunflower Center to collect evidence from your whole body. I went right away too. They said it's really rare and remarkable for someone to go here after something like this. If you are sexually assaulted, definitely report it and don't wash; go straight there. Without evidence you can't file a lawsuit. Without evidence there is no one to believe you. How many friends must have experienced this in taxis. I will put everything I have on the line and never give up until the end. I will work harder on YouTube. I will keep fighting and not back down, thinking of the victims. Why should I hide? I will live on with strength," he expressed determination. He also said he hopes to make videos in which he heals and recovers with others who share the same pain after sexual assault.
[Photo] YouTube video capture
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