South Korean YouTuber fatally stabs rival on live stream

A popular South Korean YouTuber has been arrested for fatally stabbing a rival on a live stream over an online feud.

The victim was live streaming on YouTube to his nearly 4,000 subscribers from outside a Busan court, where he had come for a hearing, when the suspect came up behind and stabbed him.

Police arrived at around 10am on Thursday and found the victim in cardiac arrest. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

The suspect fled the scene in a rented car but was arrested soon after in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province.

Neither the victim nor the suspect have been named.

Police suspect the attack was premeditated, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.

The suspect, who has around 8,000 subscribers on YouTube, had reportedly purchased a sharp weapon from a supermarket the day before and rented a car.

After the attack, he posted in the community section of his channel: “I apologize to my subscribers who have cared for me and supported me. But I couldn’t possibly forgive someone who tried to destroy other people’s happiness. I won’t make excuses. I will take responsibility for my actions.”

The YouTubers, both in their 50s, had a rivalry going back almost three years having fallen out over “unresolved legal conflicts”, according to the news report.

They had arrived at the court to attend a trial over complaints of physical assault and reputational damage by the victim.