Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of suicide, and physical and sexual abuse.
South Korean YouTube star Tzuyang revealed the years of abuse and extortion she suffered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend.
Tzuyang shared the heartwrenching news in a live stream last Thursday, July 11, where she claimed that her ex-boyfriend had abused her “physically,” “sexually,” and repeatedly “threatened” and “extorted” money from her, Korean news outlet The Korean Herald reported.
“I tried to break up with him after witnessing his violent behavior. But he threatened me that he would distribute illegally filmed videos he took of me and physically harmed me using objects like an umbrella,” the vlogger said in the video, as translated by the news outlet.
“He also forced me to work at a bar where he worked and took all of the money I earned there. He hit me twice a day when I said I wanted to quit working,” she added, explaining that she had only accepted the job as it was the only other option for her to earn a living.
According to Tzuyang, the situation escalated to the point where she attempted to end the relationship due to the frequent abuse. However, she claimed that he threatened to release intimate videos of her online if she left him.
The 27-year-old vlogger, whose real name is Park Jung-won, is widely known for her “mukbang” shows, amassing over 10 million subscribers on her channel which she claimed was established because of her ex-boyfriend’s threats to coerce her into making money.
As Tzuyang’s YouTube channel grew in popularity, her ex-boyfriend established a management agency that required her to sign a contract relinquishing 70 percent of her earnings.
“He didn’t even uphold that contract, and took all the money. … I got beaten almost every day and filmed videos. This happened for four years,” the content creator shared.
Despite the agreement, he allegedly took all her income and subjected her to daily abuse for four years. Tzuyang’s legal team asserted that the ex-boyfriend breached the contract by withholding payments amounting to at least 4 billion won (over 150 million in Philippine peso).
Tzuyang had also filed a criminal complaint with the police against her ex-boyfriend on multiple charges including “sexual assault, habitual assaults, threats and injury, blackmail and obscene acts via telecommunications media”.
To substantiate her revelations, Tzuyang concluded her YouTube video with statements from her two lawyers, Kim Tae Yeon and Kim Ki Baek.
The lawyers presented documents, audio recordings, and photos allegedly proving the hardships suffered by the food vlogger at the hands of her former partner. Included in the legal documents was a photo showing bruises on Tzuyang’s arms and legs.
Tzuyang mentioned that her ex-boyfriend purposely hit her body because hitting her on the face would make his alleged abuse “too obvious.”
One of her lawyers, described her suffering as “immense,” adding that the “evidence is extensive.”
“There are 3,800 audio files containing the details of her victimization. As a criminal defense lawyer handling many cases, this one was shockingly severe,” Kim Tae Yeon affirmed.
However, the case was reportedly closed after the vlogger’s ex-boyfriend had taken his own life. Further details about the man’s death were not disclosed.
If you think you or someone you know is experiencing physical or sexual abuse, you may seek help from the Philippine Commission on Women, see the complete list of Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) Hotlines here.
For self-harm or suicide risks, you may call the National Mental Health Crisis hotline at 1553 (Luzon-wide, landline toll-free), 0966-351-4518 or 0917-899-USAP (8727) for Globe/TM users, or 0908-639-2672 for Smart users.
