韩国警方因证据不足驳回NC针对游戏YouTuber的刑事投诉

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NC YouTuber Complaint Rejected by Police Over Insufficient Evidence
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IT·Gaming
Company says exaggerated claims can still cause harm; reviewing appeal of non-referral decision
KimSeonghun
Published 2026.08.04 18:31
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A criminal complaint filed by NC against gaming YouTuber "Youngraegi" over criticism of the company's operation of Lineage Classic has been dismissed by police. Investigators concluded there was insufficient evidence to support allegations of defamation under South Korea's Information and Communications Network Act and obstruction of business. NC is considering an appeal. The case has also drawn attention within the gaming industry, where some argue that legitimate criticism could be discouraged by such legal action.
According to industry sources on Aug. 4, the Goyang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province decided on July 22 not to refer the case involving YouTuber Cho Young-rae, known as "Youngraegi," to prosecutors, citing insufficient evidence to support alleged violations of the Information and Communications Network Act and obstruction of business.
The complaint stemmed from a video published by Cho on Feb. 22 titled "Why Macro Farms Never Disappear in Lineage Classic." In the video, Cho alleged that NC had tolerated users of illegal programs and unfairly sanctioned players who reported them. NC filed a criminal complaint, arguing that the claims were demonstrably false.
One of the central issues in the dispute concerned NC's handling of a player who reported suspected illegal-program users. Cho cited a case in which a player allegedly submitted roughly 2,000 reports through the game's in-game reporting tool, known as the "Messenger Bird," and was blocked from accessing the game the following day. Cho described the incident by saying NC had "sent the user to prison," implying that the company punished the reporting player instead of the alleged offenders.
When asked by THE ELEC about the reason for the account restriction, NC said it was unable to comment because the matter remains under review.
Lee Cheol-woo, legal counsel for Cho, explained during an appearance on another YouTube channel that police examined whether individual statements in the video were false, whether they constituted defamation, and whether there was intent to interfere with business operations.
The publicly released non-referral decision states only that the allegations under the Information and Communications Network Act and obstruction-of-business provisions were not referred due to insufficient evidence. It does not provide detailed police assessments of Cho's individual statements.
NC argues that when a YouTuber with approximately 290,000 subscribers presents information in an exaggerated manner, it can mislead users and damage a company's reputation. Cho, meanwhile, maintains that the video's purpose was to raise public awareness about the company's handling of macro users and the resulting harm to legitimate players.
"Police determined the issue involved exaggeration rather than outright falsehood," an NC official said. "Given the influence of a YouTuber with 290,000 subscribers, exaggerating facts or selectively emphasizing certain aspects can still create public misunderstanding and cause damage. If there are aspects of the decision we find difficult to accept, we will file an objection."
Under South Korean criminal procedure, if a complainant objects to a non-referral decision, police must forward the case to prosecutors. Should NC file an appeal, prosecutors will review the records and evidence independently.
The case has attracted additional attention because it coincides with the implementation of amendments to the Information and Communications Network Act aimed at regulating false and manipulated information online. Although Cho's video and NC's complaint both predated the law's enforcement, the dispute is expected to fuel ongoing debate over how to distinguish between falsehoods and exaggeration in online content, particularly when balancing corporate harm against freedom of expression.
The revised Information and Communications Network Act, which took effect on July 7, imposes liability for damages when a person intentionally or negligently distributes illegal, false, manipulated, or false-manipulated information that causes harm to others. The law also allows for enhanced damages when information is knowingly false or manipulated and is distributed with the intent to cause harm or obtain unfair gain.
"Given the nature of YouTube content, some degree of exaggeration may be unavoidable," Lee said. "However, what game companies should truly focus on is the user inconvenience that lies beneath such criticism. The purpose of the video was to bring attention to the difficulties experienced by ordinary players due to inadequate responses to macro users."
He added, "Rather than pursuing coercive measures against negative public opinion, I hope the company focuses on the reasons such criticism emerged and works to resolve player concerns. I also hope that Lineage Classic and Aion 2 become games that receive strong support from players in the future."
A gaming industry executive, who requested anonymity, expressed a different view.
"NC may feel unfairly treated, but it is questionable whether a major game company needed to pursue criminal charges against an individual YouTuber," the executive said. "Companies should respond to false information, but if even criticism is pushed into criminal proceedings, legitimate criticism could be chilled."
kimcastle@thelec.kr
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