Get to Know Korean YouTuber Yang Ye-won
Yang Ye-won is a Korean YouTuber who went viral when she uploaded a video of her past sexual harassment in 2018, where she confessed she was a victim of a sex crime. With the #MeToo movement growing, several Korean female celebrities also supported her to get justice, including famous actress Bae Suzy.
But, there’s a plot twist, in this case, so you better read the full story before making up our mind about which side you are going to stand by.
In this article, Byeol Korea will be providing you with all the information you need to know about YouTuber Yang Ye-won’s sexual abuse controversies. So, stay tuned and keep scrolling down.
Yang Ye-won Reveals She Had Been Sexually Abused
Popular YouTuber Yang Ye-won shocked the Korean public with her YouTube videos in May 2018. Through the account named Beagle Couple, Yang Ye-won made a confession that she had been sexually abused in the past.
The video Yang Ye-won uploaded on YouTube was watched by more than 2 million viewers in less than 24 hours. Yang Ye-won also started the video by explaining how her photos without clothing spread on the internet and how the photos came into existence in the first place.
Yang Ye-won said, “Three years ago when I was in my early 20s, I was a student who dreamed of becoming an actress. One day through a website, I found a part-time job that could give me the chance to be a fitting model.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnvppfymuR0
After conducting the interview, Yang Ye-won signed a contract for 5 photoshoots. She was told by the model director right there that there would be several different concepts, including a sexy concept. The director also said that he would introduce Yang Ye-won with many directors and PDs. The director also said that he would take Yang Ye-won’s profile picture for free, which is actually very expensive. And if Yang Ye-won does well, she will be introduced to many directors and PDs who are his acquaintances.
When Yang Ye-won arrived at the studio, she found out that she would be photographed naked, with the staff all of whom were men and all were holding cameras. The studio door was even locked.
Yang Ye-won said, “The director told me to change my clothes and appear in underwear, but that was not ordinary underwear. That was what you usually see in porn movies. The underwear was transparent and my genitals could be seen through it clearly. I told the director that I didn’t want to do this, but he threatened me by saying, ‘Everyone there (holding a camera) has paid to see you and if you don’t do it, they will sue you. I will also tell all the PDs and directors that I know to not claim you as an actress’.”
At that time, Yang Ye-won was young and didn’t know what to do so she was forced to do the photoshoot. The men who were there even touched her chest and vagina, and also even posed with her in Yang Ye-won’s sexy underwear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jZfCoJboo
“If I don’t do what they say, I could be raped. I could also be killed. My mind at that time just hoped to get out of there alive,” explained Yang Ye-won.
She also said that she experienced sexual violence five times, and it happened when she was scheduled to have a photoshoot. “The scariest thing is when the photos they take will be spread online. People I know or my family will finally see the photos.”
Yang Ye-won couldn’t tell this to anyone and lived with the fear that the photos will spread. On May 8th, 2018, the nightmare finally happened. She received a message about sexual harassment and her boyfriend eventually found out.
“I really want to die, I’m so scared. What might Dong-min (her boyfriend) think if he saw the photos? What would happen if my mom or dad knew, how their hearts would hurt so much? How shocked was my younger brother, who was still a teenager? I can’t see him anymore,” cried Yang Ye-won.
Yang Ye-won had broken up with her boyfriend and she wrote a suicide message to her parents, “I tried 3 times to commit suicide, but failed. I became very depressed. Even dying is difficult.”
Through the encouragement and support of her boyfriend and family, Yang Ye-won gathered up the courage to speak out about this situation.
“Even if you can’t catch the person who did this to me, I can help prevent others from experiencing the same thing as me. There aren’t just any pictures of me out there, but there are many other girls who have experienced it and appeared on online sites,” Yang Ye-won said.
The Revelation of Yang Ye-won Sexual Harassment Case
About a week after the news about Yang Ye-won’s sexual harassment by 20 men broke out, several artists showed their support for Yang Ye-won, with Bae Suzy being the biggest influencer. This was then accompanied by a separate photo studio announcing their intention to seek legal action against plaintiffs in the government lawsuit that unfairly implicated the studio in the controversial case. Suzy then apologized publicly, as the studio refused to accept an idol meeting and/or personal apologies.
Money Today’s exclusive new information has come to light which has changed the opinions of thousands on the topic. Upon researching, a communication that took place three years ago via KakaoTalk (instant messaging application) emerged.
The Kakaotalk chat showed communication details shared between Yang Ye-won and an individual (the person accused at the time and responsible for the studio) on July 7th, 2015, which lasted until September 30th, with Yang Ye-won always making the first contact.
Money Today carefully looked into the conversation and found that the ‘sexual harassment’ and ‘detention’ aspects allegedly occurring throughout the filming process, the core issue of Yang Ye Won’s case, were not grasped.
Nonetheless, what was seen in the discussion was Yang Ye-won telling the person to plan on a calendar, to book further studio sessions. Reading this, netizens and different media platforms couldn’t help but find the whole situation very strange as in Yang Ye-won’s original video, she claimed that after her first filming, she told the suspected individual that she would no longer film but would be forced to do a total of five after the director threatened her with legal action against her.
A total of 13 filming sessions were based on the KakaoTalk exchange, with the first taking place on July 8th, 2015, and the last on September 18th, 2015. Yang Ye-won can be seen asking the studio to book session after session throughout the conversation, continuously. On August 27th, she asked, “How about Saturday night? I need to submit my classes fee by Sunday so I need to do it one more time before then TT. If there’s a conflict in schedule, can we do it next week with me receiving the payment in advance… I wanted to ask TT. If that doesn’t work, can you schedule me in difficult TT? Obviously, I can’t do much otherwise TT.”
Since the new revelation, the person spoke to Money Today on the phone and said, “The dates were fixed most of the time as she called me because she needed money. I gave her 100,000-150,000 KRW ($93-$140) per hour. We filmed up to 13 times. I didn’t plan or care about shooting so many days in the beginning.” He added, “The shooting took place with her consent and I even asked her if she would be able to follow through with the idea ahead of time during the interview.”
Money Today tried to contact Yang Ye-won to get both sides of the story but she came up short.
SBS News announced on May 26th, 2018, that they had a phone interview with Yang Ye-won following the recent news. The YouTuber said, as quoted by Allkpop, “Do you think I would be crazy to give them permission, to touch my body? I never told them to lay a hand on my body. I also never agreed to wear such attire. They said, ‘I have your photos, think wisely.’ It sounded like nothing but blackmail and so I had a big thought that I should not test their temper.”
When asked why she first approached the studio to book multiple sessions, Yang Ye-won answered, “At the time, it was very difficult financially. I gave up on myself because I had already been filmed/photographed shamefully. My life was ruined already, it was over, I gave up.” Finally, she finished by responding to the recent public opinions, “It’s hard to endure all the talk that’s been going around even though they don’t know [the whole story]. Everything will be revealed in court.”
Netizens Reactions
Netizens chimed in after they came across the news to condemn Yang Ye-won but also celebrities who expressed their support. Comments read:
“The injured studio owner should sue for damages and Yang Ye Won better settle this lawfully,”
“Poor poor studio owner who couldn’t run his company because he was threatened by feminists… and Suzy who was in such a panic because of the notion of ‘justice’ poor produced a poor victim who didn’t do anything wrong…”
“What is this? This is completely different from what we’ve been hearing.”
Seeing Yang Ye-won’s responses, netizens commented:
“Your story doesn’t add up… you said that you were just hoping to get out alive, not to be detained, and barely got out while bawling your eyes out but you returned because of a little bit of money? Does that make sense? Friend, you have to be smart/intelligent even when you try to make up lies.”
“She’s seriously a scary woman…”
“Everything will be revealed in court. The decision is made by netizens but rather the judge does that. So stop talking nonsense.”
“Why don’t you just say it’s not your KakaoTalk? -.-”
Actress Bae Suzy Supports Yang Ye-won
Suzy is known as one of the South Korean celebrities who are openly feminist. She showed her support by signing the petition for the sexual abuse case of Yang Ye-won. A screenshot of the evidence of support was then uploaded via her personal Insta Story. In the upload, Suzy said she had signed support for the petition titled ‘Hapjeoung XXXX Illegal Nude Filming’.
The petition was addressed to Cheong Wa-dae or the Republic of Korea Presidential Office. If the petition succeeds in collecting 200,000 signatures within 30 days after it is made, then the government is obliged to provide an official response to the problem.
The petition received only 11,000 support before being uploaded by Suzy. Within just a few hours, the petition had succeeded in gathering more than 110,000 supporters thanks to Suzy.
Even so, an unexpected controversy arose when the location written on the petition turned out to have been managed by a different studio from the studio that Yang Ye-won described in the video. In a post, the owner of One Picture Studio, the location of the victim who was mistakenly mentioned in the petition, said that the incident experienced by Yang Ye-won occurred before the studio opened.
“The date of the photo the victim said was the day before our studio opened. After taking over (the studio), we have renovated the studio and have been using it ever since. So we are not fully involved in this case,” said the representative of the studio.
On May 19th, 2018, Bae Suzy used her Instagram account to apologize to the studio.
“Recently I learned about a studio that received losses due to changes in owner and studio name, which entered into a government petition that I had supported. I feel like there are more losses because I showed my support for the petition, so I want to apologize to the studio. Even though it’s about good deeds, of course, it’s my fault for not understanding it properly. Even now, I feel like I have to let people know that this studio isn’t involved with the case, that’s why I posted this. Even so, I hope that those who are trying to reveal the truth about this case continue to hope for him. ”
Although Suzy has already apologized, the One Picture studio will still take legal steps.
“Suzy knows how influential she is. She showed support for the petition stating our location and company and labeling us illegal. Suzy said that she posted an apology. But we are not sure whether all of these incidents will be forgotten with just an apology. It may indeed not be entirely Suzy’s fault, but where should we get compensation for the loss that our studio received because of this incident? We hope this can be a lesson about how much loss occurs because celebrities take advantage of their influence. The person who posted and distributed the government petition, the cyber terrorist, Blue House, who has ignored the petition related to defamation, and Suzy’s responsibility will go through the review of our lawyers and we will take necessary civil action.”
Well, what do you think about the case? Suzy sure had a good intention, but this was a tricky situation.
Studio Director Has Committed Suicide
The case of alleged harassment of Yang Ye-won by a photo studio taking pictures of her naked has been included in a police investigation. But something unexpected happened because the CEO of the photo studio in question actually committed suicide.
After Yang Ye-won revealed that she was a victim of sexual harassment through her YouTube channel, many people provided support including Suzy. The CEO of the photo studio later revealed the chat evidence of himself and the Youtuber arranging meetings for photoshoots. In the few screenshots revealed, Yang Ye-won seemed to agree to the next nude photoshoot.
This, of course, raises the pros and cons, so many netizens began to corner Yang Ye-won. The YouTuber then posted another video explaining that she intentionally replied to the message as if she had been threatened because her nude photo would be spread.
The police investigated for weeks. They finally caught the photographer. This man was later sued for illegally photographing Yang Ye-won, sexually harassing her, and also leaking her photos online.
After that, suddenly the police got a call that there was a man who jumped off a bridge. After being investigated, it was found that the man was the CEO of the studio who took Yang Yewon’s nude pictures. At the scene, the CEO’s car was found as well as a letter. The CEO himself had a sixth interrogation schedule on the day he committed suicide.
According to the police, the CEO may have committed suicide because the police continued to investigate and found evidence that he was involved in distributing Yang Yewon’s nude photos and other victims with the same case.
On the other hand, the police did not reveal the letter left by the CEO. But it was revealed that it contained complaints from the CEO because the police were acting unfairly to him, according to the police and the media only wanted to listen to the victim.
Suicide Letter
The studio owner was found to have committed suicide by jumping off a bridge into the Bukhan River. His suicide letter was found in a parked car not far from where he jumped.
Here is the content of the letter:
“I never locked, sexually assaulted or forced (models). I want to think that the truth will be revealed but no one believes me. Investments depend on the model or claim the victim should have, and exaggerated reporting has killed me socially. My life is over.
I was so angry and had a hard time thinking that the truth did not appear in the end. I think it would be better if I die.
I don’t think false accusations against me will be solved. I really want to live but I’m making tough decisions.
I apologize to my family, and I appreciate my colleagues who show concern for me. Forgive me.”
Netizens Reactions
As reported by Netizenbuzz, here are some comments regarding the topic:
1. [+1,665, -537] Please think this through… and please go back and read her Kataotalk messages. Even after reading it 100 times, all she sounded like was: ‘I need money, please give me more photoshoots, I can do it now…’ there was nothing forced about the situation. Why would she start talking about needing money for school if she was being forced?… Please stop saying she was forced to do anything.
2. [+823, -105] Well the police are saying he committed suicide because there was evidence that he leaked her nudes and that there are two other victims who are claiming that their nudes were leaked too and he caved under the pressure of it all??
3. [+465, -70] I did see her Kataotalks and… while she did lie, I don’t think the CEO is entirely innocent either. There were several other models who made claims against him and I think there was something he was hiding. Normally people don’t commit suicide if they’re completely innocent. Suicide is an escape.
4. [+582, -246] Yewon-ah, why don’t you clarify those Kataotalk messages of you asking for more photoshoots because you need the money? Someone died, he deserves that much, doesn’t he?
5. [+344, -27] Are you guys not reading the article ㅡㅡ the police are saying he was responsible for the leaked pictures.
High School Student Cosplayed As Yang Ye-won With Nation’s Scam
A male high school student named ‘B’ posted pictures of himself cosplaying as Yang Ye-won back on July 16th, 2018. The cosplay included the words “Nation’s Scam” which caused controversy. As a result, ‘B’ has apologized for his cosplay.
Yang Ye-won opened up about the controversies surrounding her, as reported by Allkpop:
“Recently, I was contacted about a police investigation which launched surrounding a student, who mocked me by doing a ‘Yang Ye-won’ cosplay, due to the many people reporting him on my behalf. After posting the video confessing that I was a victim, I was miserable seeing the flood of prejudice and mockery which followed. The world felt cold and scary. However, through the recent news of those who reported the controversial cosplay, I was able to realize that there are those out there who are cheering me on. I was incredibly thankful and happy. I will have strength until the end in order to uncover the entire truth, for even a single person out there who believes in me.”
Yang Ye-won Accused Of Being Disrespectful To Studio Director
Yang Ye-won and her boyfriend have been listed on the fishing website under the heading “Fishing Experience No.xx July 29.” In the shot, Yang Ye-won holds a plate of raw fish and a disposable soju cup for her boyfriend, both with bright smiles on their faces. The video went viral quickly and subsequently spread extensively via media outlets. The late-studio CEO’s sister shared a post on an online community after reading the news, outraged at the actions of Yang Ye-won.
Here’s her full statement, as quoted by Koreaboo:
“I am the sister of the studio CEO involved in the Yang Ye Won case.
I am writing this because I was so infuriated after reading an article indicating that [Yang Ye Won] went fishing yesterday.
My brother, who passed away after being wrongly charged, was cremated and scattered in the Incheon ocean on July 14th. After seeing [Yang Ye Won] fishing in Incheon not long after, I could not repress my astonishment.
Since the death of my brother, our family has been going through hell and when I saw the photo [of Yang Ye Won] smiling on a boat near the place we scattered my brother’s ashes, I was so infuriated that I was at a loss for words.
As far as I know, Yang Ye Won sued my brother on charges of making false accusations and defamation of character before he passed and so [we] need to be investigated.
Moreover, people have been claiming that the Kakaotalk messages have been fabricated, but we recovered them from a private company with our own money and submitted them to the police.
The evidence has now all been sent to the prosecution.
Before my brother passed, he called me saying he was going crazy because of the unfairness and expressed his frustration because no one was listening to him when he didn’t do anything wrong.
Even after his death and before the verdict, it seems like [Yang Ye Won] is disrespecting the deceased while continuing to act like the victim and it’s infuriating.
My brother lost everything.
During the investigations, he wasn’t able to work and even had to take out loans for the attorney fees, Kakao message recovery fees, card payments, rent, and other fees.
Even after his death, the landlord of the studio claimed that no one was taking the place because of the rumors and said he had to restore the place so we weren’t even able to receive the 50,000,000 KRW deposit.
I hope I can set things right so that my brother could rest in peace in heaven.”
In response to the long post, Yang Ye-won’s lawyer released a statement saying that “the issue was not worth answering” and challenged the photo’s identity and timing. “Yang Ye-won’s hair was not long since I first took on the case. Although I have not checked whether the woman in the photo was Yang Ye-won or not, it looks like the photo in question was not taken after the death of the studio CEO.”
Though nothing was proven, furious netizens shamed the YouTuber for her alleged actions.
“Just stop you crazy b*tch go to a shrink if you have time for fishing.”
“You’re seriously not going to shut down your YouTube?”
“I hope you go to h*ll!”
“May the one who flourished on Instagram, perish on Instagram as well.”
Well, what do you think about it?
And that was all the information we have gathered about Yang Ye-won and all of the controversies surrounding her. What do you think about this topic? Don’t forget to kindly share your thoughts by dropping a line in the comment section below!
