Alphabiz - “Battery Ajussi” YouTuber Indicted for Defamation After Spreading Spy Allegations Against SK Group Figure

Park Soon-hyuk, a YouTuber widely known as “Battery Ajussi,” and Kim Hee-young, chair of the T&C Foundation.  (Photo=Yonhap, Kim Hee-young SNS)

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] SEOUL, April 9, 2026 — Park Soon-hyuk, a once high-profile YouTuber known as “Battery Ajussi” and a prominent voice among retail investors, has been indicted on defamation charges after making controversial allegations against Kim Hee-young, the chair of the T&C Foundation and partner of Chey Tae-won.

According to legal sources on April 8, the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Park without detention on March 19 on charges of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. The case stems from remarks widely criticized as unfounded conspiracy theories.

The controversy dates back to late January last year, when Park claimed on his YouTube channel that Kim was at the center of what he described as “pro-China tendencies” within SK Group, further alleging that she could be “a Chinese spy.”

He went on to make additional claims linking Chey’s divorce and succession issues within SK Group, suggesting in a speculative scenario that China might seek to gain control of SK Hynix through family lineage — remarks that drew strong backlash for their sensational and unsubstantiated nature.

In response, Chey’s side filed a complaint with police in February, about a month after the video was posted, citing excessive invasion of privacy and defamation targeting the owner family.

During the investigation, Park reportedly argued that his comments were expressions of opinion intended to criticize alleged Chinese interference in South Korea’s elections. However, prosecutors concluded that the statements were specific, repeated, and constituted the malicious dissemination of false information.

The case has drawn significant public attention, given Park’s previous influence during the secondary battery investment boom, when he was widely regarded as a leading figure among retail investors. Observers are now closely watching how he will defend his claims in court.

Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)