A South Korean crypto YouTuber has been assaulted at his home, soon after threats to his companyâs staff from investors.
Kyu-hoon âSpunkyâ Hwang was beaten in an elevator in his apartment block at around 01:00 local time on Friday, according to CoinDesk Korea.
Seoulâs Seongdong police station said that it was seeking two suspects who attacked Hwang with a blunt weapon and then escaped. While the victimâs injuries are not life-threatening, heâs reported to be receiving treatment in hospital.
âIt is judged to be a planned crime aimed at [Hwangâs] life,â said a community notice from CoinRunners, a trading group run by Hwangâs company Bit Gosu.
The team said in the notice that they are âseverely shockedâ and will focus on security after Hwangâs release from hospital.
The self-described âinfluencerâ has been discussing about cryptocurrency on his YouTube channel, Spunkyâs Bitcoin Broadcasting. since October 2017 when he launched Bit Gosu, according to the report. The channel has around 59,000 subscribers, making Hwang one of the most popular crypto YouTubers in South Korea.
Bit Gosu has been involved in cryptocurrency-related marketing including ICOs and has a total of 10 employees. It also prompted something of a scandal, after CoinRunners members were said to have lost funds.
CoinRunners said in the notice that some members had threatened âto kill employeesâ as a result.
CoinRunners is a member-only service with around 1,000 subscribers that offers both free and paid âgoldâ memberships. A representative told CoinDesk Korea that members are provided cryptocurrency price analysis from Hwang and receive recommendations on ICO investments.
âCoinRunners, CoinRunners Gold and Bitcoin YouTube channels will be temporarily suspended, and we will decide whether to resume business,â a representative said. At press time, Hwangâs channel is still active.