Choi Wook Apologizes Amid Controversy Over Professor Jung Joon-hee's 'Cudgel' Remarks

Choi Wook, host of the YouTube channel 'MaeBulShow,' and Professor Jung Joon-hee have been reported to the police on charges including threats, insults, and defamation for remarks targeting users of the online community Ilbe. The civic group Committee for the Promotion of People's Livelihoods filed a complaint against the two with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 9th, citing their inappropriate statements that allegedly caused losses to companies.

In a broadcast on the 5th, Choi Wook stated, "They should be run over with tanks online" when referring to Ilbe users. Professor Jung Joon-hee, on the same broadcast, said to some individuals in their 20s and 30s, "It is absolutely necessary to pick up cudgels through legal means."

The civic group Committee for the Promotion of People's Livelihoods pointed out that the remarks, such as 'run over with tanks like Chun Doo-hwan' and the use of the term 'cudgels,' were inappropriate. The group referenced the 'Tank Day' incident related to Starbucks marketing, where remarks by President Lee Jae-myung led to a government-backed boycott of Starbucks Korea, resulting in financial losses for the company.

Following the controversy, Choi Wook stated, "I sincerely apologize." However, he added a caveat: "This is absolutely not an apology to the far-right."