[Herald Economy Reporter Chae Sang-woo] Popular gaming YouTuber ‘Sutak’ has spoken about his feelings regarding the kidnapping incident he experienced.
On the 1st, Sutak shared on his personal broadcast, “Fans have reached out wanting to help. I managed to endure because I wasn’t alone,” but also conveyed, “I still get anxious and scared when I step outside my house,” recounting the situation at the time.
He explained that on October 26, he was at the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, to meet with a used car dealer, Mr. A. Upon sensing someone from the back seat of the vehicle, he immediately reported it to the police by calling 112.
Sutak stated, “As soon as I saw someone in the backseat, I reported it with my phone.” He continued, “Upon seeing me report, they said, ‘I think you’d better come out now,’ and after about a 20-second struggle, the two turned and started to strangle me.”
He described how one person held him down while the other strangled him and that the assailants fetched a rope from the car to strangle him when he resisted fiercely. To escape the severe pressure, Sutak revealed that he pretended to faint twice.
He added, “As resistance continued, one of them fetched a baseball bat from the car and hit my chest, head, and heart multiple times. They swung with the intent of actually killing me,” noting that he confirmed the situation through CCTV footage.
Even during transportation, the assault and intimidation continued. Sutak explained, “On the way, they bound my hands with cable ties,” and “they hit me, claiming I wasn’t responding properly.” He also mentioned, “I didn’t hear well because there was blood in my ear, but they kept hitting me, demanding quick responses.”
Sutak said, “One of the attackers claimed they had everything sorted out with the police, saying no reports would get through, and that no police would come.” Despite resisting for about 10 minutes in the underground parking lot, with no police arriving, he began to doubt, thinking “Is this for real?”
The attackers reportedly threatened Sutak with demands for money and personal harm while transporting him by vehicle. Sutak disclosed, “They claimed to have taken measures against my parents and said things like, ‘His father controls Suwon.’ They also wondered how much money I had, and the person next to me talked about organ sales, thinking of 1 billion won.”
Initially mistaking the approaching lights for a taxi, they turned out to be police cars. Sutak explained, “The police came in numbers. They arrested the dealer, while the person in the back tried to hide by pushing his head down.” He continued, “Though I could have shouted ‘Here!’, I couldn’t because he held a baseball bat.”
After undergoing surgery for an orbital fracture, Sutak shared that he is suffering from psychological and physical aftereffects. He reported, “I have diplopia, seeing two upper and lower images; my eyeball is sunken, and I have reduced vision and hearing in my right eye,” adding that he is receiving psychological counseling since the incident.
Sutak lamented that daily activities have become challenging due to the incident. He expressed, “It’s frustrating not being able to do what I naturally could before, but I’m pushing through. Please don’t worry.”
Police investigations revealed that the used car dealer, Mr. A, planned to rob and murder Sutak upon receiving a demand for a contract deposit refund. After assaulting Sutak and forcing him into a vehicle, the culprits drove approximately 200 km to a cemetery parking lot in Geumsan County, South Chungcheong Province. The police, after receiving the report, tracked the vehicle and apprehended the suspects about four hours later. The vehicle was not delivered to the intended location. The police charged Mr. A and his accomplices with attempted murder, robbery, and illegal confinement, and handed them over for prosecution.