YouTuber’s sexual assault confession sparks renewed #MeToo movement in Korea
A 22-year-old YouTuber publicly revealed that she was sexually assaulted by a taxi driver last year, prompting an outpouring of support and reigniting discussions about sexual violence and victim solidarity in Korea.
Kwak Hyeol-soo, known for her diet and lifestyle videos, uploaded a video titled “It Took Me a Long Time to Say This” on Nov. 2, sharing her story for the first time. In the 17-minute video, she said she was assaulted by a taxi driver in the early morning of May 23, 2024, after a night out with a friend in Seoul.
“I got into a taxi around 2 a.m. because all public transport had stopped,” she said. “I was drunk and passed out in the back seat. When I woke up, the driver had parked in my apartment’s parking lot and climbed into the back seat to assault me.”
Kwak, who said she had no prior sexual experience, described the attack as “painful and terrifying.”
“I’m not the one who committed a crime, yet I felt like I had to hide,” she said tearfully. “I didn’t want people to pity me, so I pretended everything was fine and kept uploading videos.”
Known for promoting “healthy weight loss” through marathon training and home-cooked meals, Kwak revealed that her health deteriorated after the assault. “My body was severely damaged, and I’ve been visiting the gynecologist for over a year,” she said, adding that she continues to struggle with panic attacks, depression, and insomnia. She also shared that she attempted self-harm in August.
Kwak said the investigation process deepened her trauma. “A police officer asked me why I didn’t report it immediately,” she said. “But no one can just wake up from something like that and call the police right away. I did report it the next morning, but nothing really changed.”
According to SBS Entertainment News, the taxi driver was indicted without detention in September on charges of quasi-rape resulting in injury. He has requested a jury trial, though the court has yet to decide whether to grant it, citing the need to protect the victim’s privacy and safety.
Kwak said she decided to speak out after receiving an email from a subscriber who had gone through a similar experience. “Reading that message, I realized I wasn’t alone,” she said. “There are so many women who experience this. I want to make videos about healing after sexual violence.”
Her confession quickly went viral. Within 24 hours, the video surpassed 1.5 million views and drew thousands of messages of support from other survivors. However, she also faced a wave of victim-blaming comments questioning the truth of her story.
In response, Kwak posted part of the prosecution’s indictment on Thursday, confirming the case’s authenticity. The document listed the charge of quasi-rape resulting in injury and noted that prosecutors had requested electronic monitoring and probation for the accused. “This case is real, and I’m speaking based on verified legal documents,” she wrote.
Kwak’s revelation has revived national discourse on sexual violence, echoing the 2018 #MeToo movement that exposed systemic abuse across Korea’s political, cultural and entertainment sectors.
Source : https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20251109/youtubers-sexual-assault-confession-sparks-renewed-metoo-movement-in-korea |
