YouTuber Who Revealed "Sexually Assaulted in Taxi Back Seat" Shares Court Result: "Taxi Driver Sentenced to 7 Years"

Prosecutors Seek Seven-Year Prison Term for Taxi Driver
Hyeolsu Kwak: "This is Justice, This is Life"

YouTuber Hyulsoo Kwak. Screenshot from Hyulsoo Kwak's Instagram

Two years ago, YouTuber Hyeolsu Kwak (real name: Hyunsu Jeong, age 24) received widespread support after revealing that he had been sexually assaulted by a taxi driver. Recently, he shared the news that the taxi driver has been sentenced to seven years in prison and expressed his happiness, calling it "my perfect victory."

On June 12, Hyeolsu Kwak shared his feelings through his YouTube channel and other platforms, stating, "Isn't this an incredibly happy day? I sincerely thank everyone who believed in me. This is justice, and this is life."

He continued, "According to my acquaintance who attended the trial and my lawyer, there is no possibility of reducing the seven-year sentence." He added, "Despite having a record of similar offenses, the perpetrator never admitted guilt throughout the trial."

YouTuber Hyulsu Kwak. Screenshot from Hyulsu Kwak's YouTube channel

He also spoke about the secondary harm he has endured. "Why did I have to be criticized more than the perpetrator? The pain caused by hundreds of thousands of secondary victim-blaming comments was deep. Why do people force victims to act a certain way?" he said, adding, "I plan to take legal action against all those responsible for secondary harm and the so-called 'lecca' (YouTubers who sensationalize incidents)."

"I spent 330 days crying" — a tearful confession

Previously, in November last year, Hyeolsu Kwak revealed the sexual assault on his YouTube channel. In the video, he explained that he had hidden the incident for a year and a half while continuing his usual YouTube activities, living "330 out of 365 days in tears," and said, "I felt it was too hard to keep hiding it any longer."

According to his account, at the time, he had been drinking heavily and lost consciousness in the back seat of a taxi. The taxi driver parked in the YouTuber's apartment parking lot, then moved to the back seat and sexually assaulted Hyeolsu Kwak. As he had no prior sexual experience, he said the pain and suffering were overwhelming, and he lost consciousness while struggling to escape.

Mental and physical collapse after the incident

Hyeolsu Kwak confessed that he has suffered long-term psychological and physical aftereffects since the incident. He said that the sexual assault caused damage to his genitalia, and that he excessively took medication to treat it. He also reported experiencing side effects such as hair loss. "Yesterday, I had a severe panic attack: convulsions, hyperventilation, anxiety, and lethargy," he said, detailing his symptoms.

Kwok Hyulsu has revealed that he has been experiencing side effects such as hair loss since the incident. Screenshot from Kwok Hyulsu's YouTube channel

Taxi driver sentenced to seven years in prison... previous similar convictions revealed

On June 12, the 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Western District Court (Chief Judge: Woongi Yoon) held a sentencing hearing for a taxi driver, Mr. Jeong, who was tried on charges of quasi-rape resulting in injury. The prosecution requested a seven-year prison sentence, a sexual violence treatment program, a 10-year order to disclose and notify personal information, and a 10-year electronic monitoring device order.

Mr. Jeong was indicted for raping and molesting Hyeolsu Kwak, who was in a state of unconsciousness and unable to resist after getting into his taxi near Hongdae Entrance Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul, in the early morning of May 22, 2024. He had a prior record of assaulting and raping a woman in the past. The sentencing for this case is scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 10.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.