YouTube suicide body video removed

YouTube star apologises again for suicide video

A group of schoolchildren read signs posted in the dense woods of the Aokigahara Forest at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan on Oct 22, 1998. (AP photo)
A group of schoolchildren read signs posted in the dense woods of the Aokigahara Forest at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan on Oct 22, 1998. (AP photo)

TOKYO: Logan Paul has issued a more extensive apology for posting a YouTube video showing what appeared to be a body in a Japanese forest known as a suicide destination.

The initial video he posted on Sunday showed the prolific social media user trekking with friends in the Aokigahara Forest near Mount Fuji. He seems aware the forest is sometimes chosen for suicides but is surprised to see what appears to be a body hanging from a tree.

Media reports say the video was viewed some 6 million times before being removed from Paul's YouTube channel, a verified account with more than 15 million subscribers. Segments of the video were still appearing online on Wednesday.

A storm of criticism followed, with commenters saying Paul seemed joking and disrespectful in the video and that his initial apology was inadequate.

"I don't expect to be forgiven. I'm simply here to apologise,"' he said on the more sombre video apology uploaded on YouTube and Twitter late Tuesday. "None of us knew how to react or how to feel.''

Paul said he wanted to apologise to the internet, to all who saw the video and to those suffering mental illness and depression. "Most importantly, I want to apologise to the victim and his family.''

YouTube said it prohibits violent content posted in a sensational or disrespectful manner. Its statement says, "Our hearts go out to the family of the person featured in the video.''

In Paul's initial apology, he said he had wanted to raise awareness about suicide and possibly save lives, and he denied his goal was to drive clicks to his social media content.

"I thought I could make a positive ripple on the internet, not cause a monsoon of negativity,'' he said in his Twitter post.

Masaki Ito, spokesman for the Yamanashi prefectural police, said people aren't obligated to report a body, but police were interested in talking to Paul as a suicide may be involved. But local police overseeing the forest area in Paul's video declined comment on Wednesday. Japanese police generally do not comment on suicides.

Japan has a per capita suicide rate among the highest in the world, with more than 21,000 occurring a year, according to government data. The Mount Fuji forest has been known for suicides because its seclusion means people know they won't be found for a long time.

YouTube, owned by Google parent Alphabet Inc, has not responded to questions about removing Paul's video channel.

In another video uploaded on Monday, Paul mentions the encounter with the body, saying, "That was weird." The rest of that video shows him romping through a Tokyo park, talking about his clothing brand, visiting gadget stores and running around wearing a Pokemon outfit.

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Vocabulary

  • apologise: to say you are sorry for doing something wrong or for causing a problem - ขอโทษ
  • criticism: comments that show that you think something is wrong or bad - การวิจารณ์
  • depression: a medical condition in which a person is so unhappy that they cannot live a normal life - ความสะเทือนใจ, ความเศร้าสลด, ความหดหู่
  • disrespectful: showing a lack of respect for somebody/something - ที่ไม่เคารพ, ดูหมิ่น
  • inadequate: not enough, or not good enough for a particular purpose - อย่างไม่เพียงพอ
  • initial: early; first - เบื้องต้น
  • monsoon: the season of heavy rain during the summer in hot Asian countries - มรสุม
  • obligated: required to do something - ซึ่งต้องทำ, ซึ่งผูกมัด
  • per capita: per person, for each person - ต่อคน, รายหัว, ต่อหัว
  • prohibit: to not allow; to ban - ห้าม
  • prolifically: producing a lot of something - มีผลมาก
  • ripple: a small wave on the surface of a liquid that moves outward, especially water in a lake, etc - คลื่นเล็กๆ
  • segment (noun): a part of something - ส่วน, ตอน
  • sensational: causing great surprise, excitement, or interest - น่าดึงดูดใจ, น่าเร้าใจ, น่าตื่นเต้น
  • sombre: serious, sad and without humour or amusement - เคร่งขึม
  • subscriber: someone who pays money to an organization in order to receive a product, use a service regularly or support the organisation - ผู้ใช้บริการ
  • suicide: the action of deliberately killing yourself - การฆ่าตัวตาย
  • verified: checked to make sure that something is true or accurate - การพิสูจน์ความจริง, การตรวจสอบความเป็นจริง
  • weird: very strange - แปลกประหลาด
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