YouTubers charged with stalking Jang Dong-hyuk, a representative of the People Power Party, denied the allegations during their first court hearing.
According to Yonhap News, on October 12, the Seoul Southern District Court held a hearing for Choi, 39, and Park, 39, hosts of the YouTube channel 'Politics in a Glass,' who are accused of violating the Stalking Punishment Act.
'Politics in a Glass' is a pro-Democratic Party channel with 129,000 subscribers. The channel is known for using loudspeakers at public events attended by People Power Party politicians and conservative groups to hold counter-demonstrations.
The two are accused of following Jang's official schedule approximately 27 times since last year and asking questions such as, 'When will you sell your six houses?' At the time, Jang was serving as the chair of the People Power Party's Real Estate Policy Normalization Committee and was reported to own six real estate properties, including apartments and houses. In March, Jang's team filed a complaint against the hosts with the police.
During the hearing, the defense attorney argued, 'The defendants' actions were merely normal journalistic activities,' denying that they constituted stalking. The attorney also claimed that even if the actions were considered stalking, they were legitimate acts that did not violate social norms.
The defense pointed out that there was no direct testimony from Jang Dong-hyuk among the submitted evidence, only statements from his aides and the complainant's representatives, asserting that Jang should appear in court as a witness. The court is expected to decide later whether to summon Jang as a witness.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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