A petition in the National Assembly, stating that there is a need for sanctions against entertainment YouTubers who indiscriminately disclose the private lives of celebrities to generate revenue, has gathered more than 40,000 signatures and is close to formal submission. Actor Kim Sae-ron, who passed away on the 16th of last month, is also reported to have suffered due to the private life exposure by some YouTubers.
According to the National Assembly's online petition homepage on the 13th, a petition titled "Request for strong sanctions at the National Assembly level to prevent damage such as suicides of celebrities caused by the activities of entertainment journalists' YouTube channels," uploaded on the 24th of last month, received 41,404 signatures by 11 a.m. on that day.
The petition will be open until the 26th of this month. If it receives more than 50,000 signatures, it will be formally submitted and handed over to the relevant committees in the National Assembly. A decision on whether to present it in a plenary session will be made within 90 days. The petitioner, Mr. Jeong, explained the background of the petition, saying, "Individuals who used to work as entertainment journalists are increasingly creating personal YouTube channels to broadcast behind-the-scenes stories or trending issues in the entertainment industry to the public for their own revenue, and this method of storytelling is leading to social repercussions more and more often."
Mr. Jeong criticized, "Kim Sae-ron is known to have caused a significant social stir years ago due to a drunk driving accident and has since been quietly reflective. Nevertheless, through the YouTube channels and social media activities of entertainment journalists that mainly deal with behind-the-scenes stories in the entertainment industry, public scrutiny of her every move has been dug into at a stalking level, regardless of her will." He continued, "Many celebrities have unfortunately ended their own lives or given up on their dreams due to this behavior, and it's a reality that many continue to struggle with mental health issues, such as panic disorders, while trying to stay active."
Mr. Jeong emphasized that, like other media, sanctions against YouTube should also be implemented. He asserted, "The National Assembly should establish baseline qualifications for YouTube and the YouTubers engaged in it, and take steps to create specific regulations regarding the videos and stories they disseminate, corresponding to existing media standards. In particular, I earnestly request that you seriously consider this behavior, which primarily aims to harass celebrities for personal revenue generation and increased exposure, ensuring that such damages to celebrities do not happen again."
The family of Kim Sae-ron has also stated that she suffered due to private life disclosures made via YouTube. Kim Sae-ron's aunt said in an interview with The Fact on that day, "I will hold the aggressive YouTuber who pushed (our Sae-ron) to her death accountable with strong legal responsibility," and added, "The petition lasts until the 26th, and I hope many will participate so that it can be an opportunity to strengthen the current light punishments. Although Sae-ron has passed, I hope that no more unjust deaths resulting from such indiscriminate and irresponsible invasions of privacy occur in the future."