YouTuber Karakula has drawn criticism for committing "secondary harm" to the bereaved families by releasing an interview with the perpetrator in the late director Kim Chang-min's case.
Karakula on the 9th posted a video titled I'm the person who killed director Kim Chang-min on his personal YouTube channel Karakula Detective Agency. The released video drew attention by featuring the perpetrator, a person surnamed Lee, who assaulted director Kim Chang-min until his death.
In the video the perpetrator, a person surnamed Lee, apologized to director Kim Chang-min and the bereaved families for about two minutes. He said, As the perpetrator in the case of the late director Kim Chang-min, as a party to the incident, I want to say I am deeply sorry and offer my apologies to the late director Kim Chang-min and his bereaved family members.
He continued, First of all, I am very sorry to the late director Kim Chang-min. I am really sorry. I truly only feel sorry and I am really sorry. I also truly know the grief of the bereaved families who lost a son, and I am sorry, saying, I have nothing to say but sorry, so I am very sorry.
However, despite the brief apology, his attitude of saying this is enough, as if to end it here, provoked public outrage. In the subsequent interview he appeared to excuse the release of a track that sparked controversy for insulting the deceased, saying, I prepared it before that incident last year. I rapped about an old first love in a hip-hop style, and, The stage name "Perpetrator" is because I was born in 1994, the year of the dog, and was told I get along well with people born in the year of the tiger so I have a tiger tattoo on my back, which drew further criticism. Additionally, regarding whether any of the group involved in the gang assault were criminal gang members, an acquaintance revealed, I was (involved in a gang), shocking viewers.
Apologizing to Karakula rather than to the bereaved families and the performative gestures have provoked public criticism. Moreover, Karakula is being criticized for showcasing this, as he is giving more attention to the perpetrators' stories than to the bereaved families and has even announced a part two, which has been interpreted as using the bereaved families' lingering grief to boost view counts.
Of course, Karakula emphasized between the perpetrator's apology and the interview preview that the video was intended to seek punishment, saying, I pray for the repose of the late director Kim Chang-min, who tragically passed away in this incident. I extend my sincere condolences to the bereaved families. I hope a thorough and severe investigation will be conducted and that punishment commensurate with the guilt of the perpetrators will be imposed.
Even after the "secondary harm" controversy erupted, he replied in comments, saying Karakula first contacted the perpetrators through a domestic telecom company and after they apologized on that outlet they contacted me to film the interview, and added I do not understand the furious condemnation calling it secondary harm to the bereaved families, and argued that the broadcaster who persistently contacted the perpetrators for an interview and even staked out in front of their homes was engaged in legitimate reporting, and that if the perpetrators came to me asking for an interview, is that secondary harm?
He especially stressed that his channel is a revenue-suspended channel, underscoring that it is a shabby personal channel. However, he also said, I think there may have been a special purpose for the perpetrators choosing me, a YouTuber rather than the press, but I have absolutely no intention of helping them launder or assist them in any way. I plan to reveal in follow-up videos the real hidden reason they came to me and the full story, including the ugly truths they carelessly uttered thinking the camera was off. The perpetrators will blame themselves and regret having come to Karakula. They went to the wrong address. I hope those despicable apologies go to the dogs.
Nevertheless public reaction is cold. Even in the comments on the video there were a torrent of critical remarks such as collusion between a clueless channel and a clueless killer, If this is meant to get a reduced sentence and such a reduction occurs, Karakula also conspired, Karakula still like this?, This channel that allowed this video to be posted is the worst; I will never visit again, It's amazing that a killer can appear on YouTube, and Karakula said he would retire but what is he doing.
Underlying the public criticism is not only this video but also criticism of Karakula's past behavior. Karakula was earlier given a suspended prison sentence for abetting extortion in the case of YouTuber Tzuyang being extorted through threats. He was involved in a case in which the YouTuber known as Foot-and-mouth disease and a fabricator of staged content used allegations of tax evasion and private life issues against Tzuyang as a pretext to extort money. At the time Karakula was accused of instigating the extortion with the implication that it would be profitable to take money from Tzuyang.
About a year after he resumed YouTube, he has again been embroiled in controversy for interviewing the perpetrator in the Kim Chang-min case. Although he claims the interview was for punishment, the bereaved families' voices do not actually reach him. Despite the heated public criticism, he responds not with acceptance but with resistance, slicing the video into parts and previewing them. It is uncertain whether his claims will gain credibility.
Meanwhile the bereaved families continue to suffer amid the draining attention around director Kim Chang-min's case. Last October director Kim Chang-min was dining at a restaurant in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, with his son who has developmental disabilities when he was assaulted by a group including the person surnamed Lee and fell into a brain-dead state. He ultimately never regained consciousness and passed away, prompting sorrow. The deceased even saved four lives through organ donation, deepening the grief.
[Photo] Source: YouTube.
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