Korean mukbang star Tzuyang reveals years of abuse and extortion by ex-boyfriend

Popular Korean mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang, whose real name is Park Jung-won, has opened up about years of alleged abuse, extortion, and threats from her ex-boyfriend, referred to as Mr. A. The 27-year-old YouTube star, with over 10 million subscribers, revealed her ordeal on Wednesday to counter blackmail attempts from other YouTubers associated with "Cyber Wreckers."

Tzuyang explained that her troubles began around 2017 or 2018 when she met her ex-boyfriend during a gap year from university. Initially kind, Mr. A soon became abusive. "I tried to break up because he showed violent behavior, but he threatened to distribute an illegal video he had taken of me, so I couldn’t leave him," Tzuyang said, according to translations from the Korea Times.

Mr. A coerced her into working at an adult entertainment company and took compromising videos and photos to control her. He then created an agency, forcing Tzuyang into an unfair contract that gave him 70% of her earnings. "Even though I earned some money from the broadcasts, he took all of it, leaving me without enough money to buy even a chicken meal," she stated.

During the pandemic, Mr. A forced her to retire due to a scandal involving undisclosed ad-sponsored content. He and his associates monitored her comment section, posing as her. When her fans pushed for her return, her employees discovered the exploitative contract, and with their support, she severed ties with Mr. A.

Despite ending their relationship, Mr. A continued to threaten Tzuyang and her family, leading her to file multiple lawsuits. Her lawyer, Kim Tae-yeon, said, "Tzuyang’s suffering was immense, and the evidence is extensive. There are 3,800 audio files containing the details of her victimization." The unpaid earnings owed to her amount to approximately $3 million.

An agreement was initially reached, but Mr. A violated the terms, leading to another lawsuit. The case was closed following Mr. A’s death by suicide. Tzuyang's legal team concluded, "We hope there will be no further speculation or misunderstandings regarding the parties involved, and we wish to prevent any secondary harm to the bereaved family."