Is the Infamous Sex Offender in Korean Entertainment Making a Comeback?

Go Young-wook, a former member of the popular Korean group Roo’Ra from the 1990s, was born in 1976. In 2013, he was convicted of sexually assaulting three underage girls and sentenced to two years and six months in prison. Following his release, he was placed under electronic monitoring until 2018 as part of his sentence.

On August 5, Go Young-wook surprisingly created a YouTube channel called “Go! Young-wook” and shared a three-minute and forty-second video showcasing his beloved pet dog. In the video, the notorious criminal admitted, “I have led a dishonorable life. I am feeling unproductive at home, which is why I decided to start a YouTube channel to break out of this unenthusiastic routine. Please take care of yourselves during this hot weather.”

As of 1:40 PM on August 6, the channel had gained 563 subscribers and the video had accumulated over 17,000 views, causing a mix of surprise and anger among the public due to the creator’s infamy and fame.

Despite disabling comments on his YouTube channel, Go Young-wook’s return to showbiz was met with immediate outrage from the public. Netizens took to various online forums to express their anger, harshly criticizing him for his actions.

Comments such as “Shameless,””How can a convicted sex offender have the audacity to start a YouTube channel?””Live modestly and with dignity,”and “Is he not remorseful for his actions?”were repeatedly made. In response, netizens launched a campaign to report his channel and have it taken down.

Despite previously attempting to open an Instagram account in 2020, Go Young-wook was ultimately met with intense backlash and forced to close the account. In his declaration, he stated that after nearly nine years of isolation, he could no longer continue living in such a manner and wanted to cautiously begin communicating with the world again.

The Korean public was shocked by Go Young-wook’s sexual assault case in 2013. He received a two-year and six-month prison sentence for sexually assaulting three minors from July 2010 to December 2012. His personal details were exposed to the public for five years, and he was the first celebrity to be mandated to wear an electronic ankle monitor for sex offenders. Go Young-wook served his time at Anyang Prison and Nambu Prison and was released in July 2015.

After being released, the former singer made a deep bow and expressed his apologies to the public, stating, “I have spent a lot of time reflecting during my time in prison. I am deeply sorry for the trouble I have caused as an entertainer.”Consequently, he was removed from the entertainment industry and prohibited from resuming his career.