South Korean YouTuber stabbed by rival during live broadcast in front of court

A South Korean YouTuber was fatally stabbed on Thursday morning during a live broadcast outside the Busan District Court. The victim, a 50-year-old man, was participating in a hearing when another YouTuber, also 50, approached him from behind and stabbed him, according to The Korean Herald.

The attack, which was broadcast live to the victim’s nearly 4,000 subscribers, is believed to be the result of an online rivalry between the two YouTubers. Police suspect that the attack was premeditated, as the suspect had purchased a gun and rented a car the day before. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The suspect fled the scene but was detained by police in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victim and suspect. However, according to a media outlet, the perpetrator of the crime is identified by the surname Hong, while the victim is known by the surname Jo.

Following the incident, Hong took to his channel’s community section to express remorse, stating, “I apologize to my subscribers who cared for me and supported me. But I couldn’t forgive someone who tried to destroy other people’s happiness. I won’t give I’m sorry. I will take responsibility for my actions.”

The Korean Herald He also mentioned that the two had been at odds for several years, openly criticizing each other through videos on their respective YouTube channels, both with thousands of subscribers. Hong claimed that hostilities began when the victim publicly criticized his wife, but Jo attributed the feud to Hong’s alleged slander and financial extortion against him.

Things got worse between the YouTubers in February when Hong attacked the victim. This meant that both had to go to court to deal with the matter legally.

Police believe Hong, who has about 8,000 YouTube subscribers, planned the stabbing because he bought a long kitchen knife the day before the trial. They also believe he watched the victim’s live feed to find out where she was.