YouTuber attends arrest warrant hearing over alleged defamation of Lee

▲ Conservative YouTuber Jeon Han-gil (C) arrives at the Seoul Central District Court on April 16, 2026, to attend his arrest warrant hearing over his alleged defamation of President Lee Jae Myung. (Yonhap)

YouTuber-arrest warrant

YouTuber attends arrest warrant hearing over alleged defamation of Lee

SEOUL, April 16 (Yonhap) -- Conservative YouTuber Jeon Han-gil appeared at a court Thursday to attend a hearing on his potential arrest on charges of defaming President Lee Jae Myung and Lee Jun-seok, leader of the minor New Reform Party.

Jeon, known as a vocal supporter of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, is accused of claiming on YouTube since last year that President Lee had created a slush fund worth 160 trillion won (US$109 billion) and of raising allegations regarding his private life with a presidential secretary.

He is also accused of arguing that minor party leader Lee's double major in economics at Harvard University was false.

Jeon's arrest warrant hearing was held at the Seoul Central District Court on Thursday morning, and its decision is expected to be released in the afternoon at the earliest.

"I have lived by the law and have no criminal record, but after the Lee Jae Myung administration was launched, I ended up at the police station and the court," Jeon told reporters before attending the hearing.

"I merely cited allegations reported in the U.S. media, and (my claims) have nothing to do with crime."

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency applied for an arrest warrant for Jeon on Tuesday after questioning him three times since last month. The police estimate that Jeon earned about 32.6 million won in profits from six videos containing his claims.

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