Court upholds exit ban on YouTuber Jeon Han-gil

A South Korean court has ruled against YouTuber and former history instructor Jeon Han-gil (also known as Jeon Yu-gwan) in his lawsuit to overturn the Ministry of Justice's decision to extend his exit ban.

Jeon is currently under investigation for allegedly spreading false information and committing defamation. This includes claims regarding President Lee Jae-myung's alleged secret funds and illegitimate children, as well as allegations concerning political figure Lee Jun-seok and political broker Myung Tae-kyun.

The Seoul Administrative Court rejected Jeon's argument that the ban was illegal and caused undue hardship. The court noted that the public interest in the investigation outweighed the personal disadvantages faced by Jeon.

Crucially, the court cited Jeon's past behavior as a reason to maintain the ban, noting that he had traveled abroad nine times before the initial ban and had failed to respond to summons seven times while staying overseas. The court concluded that allowing him to leave the country could significantly hinder the ongoing multiple investigations.