Choi Wook, host of the YouTube channel 'Mae-bul Show,' who stated that users of Ilbe (Ilgan Best Storage) should be "pushed over by a tank," has been reported to the police. [Capture from YouTube channel 'Mae-bul Show'] 

Choi Wook, host of the YouTube channel 'Mae-bul Show,' who stated that users of Ilbe (Ilgan Best Storage) should be "pushed over by a tank," has been reported to the police.

The civic group the Committee for the Improvement of People's Livelihoods (Minssaengwi) announced on the 9th that it had filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against Choi and Jung Joon-hee, an adjunct professor of Information Society Media at Hanyang University ERICA, on charges of threat, defamation, libel, and violation of the Information and Communications Network Act.

Minssaengwi took issue with Choi's remarks on the YouTube channel broadcast on the 5th, stating, "Ilbe online must be criminalized, and when our system allows these things (Ilbe) to persist, it becomes entertainment and culture, and they rise to prominence. These people greatly admire Jeon Doo-hwan," and added, "In that way, they should be pushed over by tanks online."

They also pointed out the problematic nature of remarks made by Professor Jung, who appeared on the same broadcast, targeting some individuals in their 20s and 30s. He stated, "It is absolutely necessary to take up sticks through legal means," and "They should not be persuaded rationally but suppressed by power."

Regarding the reason for the complaint, Minssaengwi argued, "In light of the immense losses brought to businesses by the Starbucks Korea boycott, mobilized by the government following President Lee Jae-myung's remarks concerning Starbucks marketing's 'Tank Day' expression, the statements by the defendants, 'They should be pushed over by tanks like Jeon Doo-hwan,' and the expression 'sticks,' are inappropriate."

Meanwhile, Choi stated, "There were many people who were uncomfortable with my remarks. I sincerely apologize."

He added, however, "This is by no means an apology to the far-right who praise Jeon Doo-hwan's methods."

Netizens have criticized the remarks, with comments such as, "Are there good tanks and bad tanks?" "If you criticize Starbucks marketing, then Choi Wook's suggestion to push them over with tanks should be criticized, leading to the closure of Mae-bul Show." "To hear someone in their 40s or 50s openly say such things on a major YouTube channel with 2.88 million subscribers, not just casual chat over drinks in private."

There were also comments such as, "Those who were angry at Starbucks are now silent. They are silent even after hearing the extreme expression of being pushed over by tanks. They are silent even about a tremendous incident that undermined the right to participate in government. Why is that?"

Regarding Professor Jung Joon-hee, reactions expressed doubt about whether his statements were democratic, asking, "A professor suggests we should take up sticks against those in their 20s and 30s? That we should use power?"

Reporter Lim Yo-hee