"Joe Biden 840,000 · Barack Obama 590,000"
Most Viewed Video Is About Sister-in-Law Swearing Explanation
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, surpassed 1 million subscribers on his YouTube channel on the 26th. He is the first domestic politician to achieve this milestone. Lee's team is reportedly preparing a commemorative event for reaching 1 million subscribers.
He is also expected to receive the 'Gold Button.' The Gold Button is an award given by Google's headquarters in the United States to YouTube channels that exceed 1 million subscribers. Channels with over 100,000 subscribers receive the Silver Button, and those with over 10 million receive the Diamond Button.
The channel was launched on May 14, 2014. A total of 2,711 videos have been uploaded, with total views surpassing 230 million. The most viewed video is titled "The full story of the sister-in-law's double curse incident. This is the truth. Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung," uploaded seven years ago, which has recorded 3.23 million views.
Choo Mi-ae, elected member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gyeonggi Hanam-gap), praised Lee’s YouTube channel surpassing 1 million subscribers as "an extremely rare event worldwide." She noted, "U.S. President Joe Biden has about 840,000 subscribers, and Barack Obama has about 590,000, so the significance of a Korean politician’s YouTube channel surpassing 1 million subscribers is extraordinary." She added, "It shows that the main actors in politics have shifted from a handful of vested interests to engaged and awakened citizens," and said, "This is the result of Lee communicating with the public through alternative media without yielding to a biased media environment, thereby increasing political efficacy."
Regarding the rapid increase in subscribers during the April 10 general election period, she analyzed, "It is the result of both public sentiment and party sentiment gathering expectations and support for the Democratic Party and Lee." She emphasized, "The 22nd National Assembly must not forget these expectations and mandates of the public and must achieve 'people’s democracy' through definite reforms and overwhelming checks and balances."
Lee had previously emphasized the importance of his YouTube channel before and after the general election. During the election campaign, on days when he had court schedules or local trips, he used the live broadcast feature to remotely support candidates. However, frequent communication also led to occasional mistakes. On the 2nd, he sparked controversy by saying, "Candidate Na Kyung-won even has a nickname, 'Nabe,' a nickname given by many who question her sense of national identity and patriotism." 'Nabe' is a blend of Candidate Na’s name and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s name, and in Japanese, it means 'pot.' On the 6th, right after appealing for support and getting into a vehicle, he also said, "You just pretended to work."
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