Reporter turned YouTuber Kim Yong Ho announced retirement shortly after another YouTube channel Seo Sa Jang TV released a series of viral exposes against him. Kim Yong Ho is known for spreading rumors about celebrities in the Korean entertainment industry through his YouTube channel. He apologized for stirring problems and called himself a monster in his final video.
His channel Gao Sero Institute had victimized celebrities including actress' Han Ye Seul and Jun Ji Hyun. In his final video, Kim Yong Ho shed tears and accepted that it was all a show and unverified gossip. Soon after releasing the video, Kim Yong Ho deleted it, giving rise to speculations that even his last video was a show.
In the final video, Kim Yong Ho said: "Looking back, I think I've become addicted to stabbing people with my words. My channel brought in a lot of subscribers, views, and tip-offs. It made me wild and turned me into a monster...It's like I've turned into one trying to expose the monsters out there. I need to stop before I really lose myself."
This led to rumors that the YouTuber was being pressurized to retire after a series of videos exposing him were released by Seo Sa Jang TV. Reacting to the same, Kim Young Ho said that he was not being forced to retire but chose to do so because he was ashamed of himself. He has clarified that he has no intention of returning to YouTube.
"I started becoming more influential and it made me think I have power. I became arrogant...I need to go figure things out with myself. But I'm too ashamed of myself for having been so drunk, so arrogant, so rude. This isn't a permanent retirement, but as of now I have no plans on coming back," Kim Young Ho said.
Controversial YouTuber Exposed
The youTube channel Seo Sa Jang TV had released a series of recordings in Kim Yong Ho's voice. One of the recording was of Kim Yong Ho's conversation with a woman in an escort bar. He was heard gossiping about the celebrities he targeted and also about how he usually paid for drinks and services.
"You need to get out of this business if you can't supply me with the right ladies. I've been going to escort bars for the past 15 years. You need to do better than this. Show me what you got..." Kim Yong Ho is heard speaking to to the bar manager in one of the recordings.
Following this, Kim Yong Ho admitted that the recording was not doctored. "I'm embarrassed to admit that it's me, but it is. I feel helpless that my voice got recorded and exposed all over YouTube. But I said what I said. I should have been more careful about what I say...I always tell myself to watch what I write and watch what I say, but I was too drunk to keep my own promise," said the controversial YouTuber.
Lawsuits Against Kim Yong Ho
Netizens also claimed that lawsuits filed by celebrities were also a reason behind Kim Yong Ho announcing retirement. "It's a reporter's duty to question, but it is not my place to decide what's right or wrong. But I started using my platform to call these celebrities out and judge them...I crossed a lot of lines and overstepped a lot of boundaries. So I have a lot of lawsuits filed against me. I've been to court so many times. I admit that I've been problematic in many ways. And I'm sorry about that," said Kim Young Ho.
Currently, Kim Yong Ho has been sued by Lieutenant Ken Rhee, actress Han Ye Seul, comedian Park Soo Hong, actress Choi Ji Woo's husband. Top Korean actress Jun Ji Hyun's agency too had warned of strict action against Kim Yong Ho's channel.
Kim Yong Ho had made allegations of sexual harassment against Lieutenant Ken Rhee, who became popular with the reality show Fake Men. This rumor destroyed Ken Rhee's career. In one of his episodes, controversial reporter had claimed that comedian Park Soo Hong had assaulted a girl on a date, resulting in negative publicity to the actor. Other severe accusations include stating that actress Han Ye Seul's boyfriend was a male escort and starting the rumor of Jun Ji Hyun divorcing husband Choi Jun Hyuk.
