YouTube shut down the channel of former sex offender and Korean singer Go Young-wook just 18 days after he created it.
Go Young-wook, 48, was a former member of the Korean hiphop group Roo’ra and also worked as an emcee and actor.
He was indicted for sexually assaulting three minors from 2010 to 2012 in his home and car.
Former Korean singer Go Young-wook faces the media after he was released from prison on July 10, 2015 (Screenshot from TV Chosun video on YouTube)
Former Korean singer Go Young-wook's YouTube channel (Screenshot from MBC News video on YouTube)
Former Korean singer Go Young-wook's YouTube channel is no longer available
In 2013, a court found him guilty of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old and was sentenced to two and a half months in prison, five years of information disclosure and three years of wearing an ankle monitor as a sex offender.
He was released from prison on July 10, 2015 but was ordered to wear an ankle monitor for three years, which expired in July 2018. His personal information was made available to the public for five years, which ended in 2020.
Last Aug. 5, Go Young-wook announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he opened his YouTube channel @GoYoungWook-217.
“I've lived a shameful life. I feel like I'm just sitting at home muttering and growing old in a pitiful way, so I'm starting a haphazard YouTube channel to escape my listless daily life. Take care of your health in this hot weather!” he posted on X.
However, on Aug. 23, YouTube shut down his channel.
“It seems like my YouTube channel got shut down overnight. I didn't upload any harmful content just because I have a criminal record, but I wonder if YouTube can apply a non-existent regulation to only one person... I've paid all the punishments under the law... Is this fair when some people can and some can't?” Go Young-wook posted on X on Aug. 23.
YouTube explained the termination of Go Young-wook’s channel.
“We have terminated Go!Youngwook GoDog Days channel in accordance with our Creator Responsibility guidelines, which prohibit off-platform behavior that harms YouTube’s community. This means that the uploader is unable to use, own or create any other YouTube channels.” a representative from YouTube told The Korea Herald.
According to the YouTube community guidelines page, “If a YouTube creator’s on- and/or off-platform behavior harms our users, community, employees or ecosystem, we may respond based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the egregiousness of their actions and whether a pattern of harmful behavior exists. Our response will range from suspending a creator’s privileges to account termination.”
In November 2020, Go Young-wook opened an Instagram account but the platform shut it down as “convicted sex offenders are not allowed to use Instagram,” according to its policy.