350 Million Won on 'Kkondaehee'... Local Governments Pouring Public Funds into YouTube [Newspick]③

Editor's NoteWe present selected news stories that resonated with many readers on the internet during the first to third quarters of 2024, along with their behind-the-scenes stories. During the abundant Chuseok holiday, we hope you take some time to recharge by revisiting the popular articles from the past nine months.

'Kkondaehee' received 35 million KRW... Local governments pouring tens of millions into YouTube (Reporter Kim Bokyung)

YouTube has recently emerged as an essential promotional tool, thanks to its growing influence. Celebrities appearing on popular YouTube channels before movie releases or album launches is a testament to its strong promotional effect. Since Kim Seontae, an official from Chungju City, Chungbuk Province, gained popularity with the character 'Chungju Man,' local governments have also been using YouTube to promote their regions. The issue is that tens of millions of won of taxpayers' money are being spent on sponsored videos or advertisements by some famous YouTubers. How should we view local governments' YouTube promotional marketing? In August, an article about YouTube support by Boryeong City, Chungnam Province, received about 600 comments.

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Comedian Kim Dae-hee hosts the YouTube channel 'Kkondaehee'.
[Image source=YouTube capture]

Last month, Boryeong City, Chungnam Province, promoted local festivals, tourist attractions, and food through the YouTube channel 'Kkondaehee,' hosted by comedian Kim Daehee. The budget for a single 12-minute video posted on July 31 was 35 million KRW. The promotional budget was split evenly between Boryeong City and the Chungnam Provincial Government's Tourism Department.

Kkondaehee is a YouTube channel with 1.68 million subscribers as of August, popular mainly among people in their 20s and 30s. Boryeong City decided to sponsor the video production to enhance its tourism brand image and promote the city to younger audiences.

The Chungnam Provincial Government operates the official local government YouTube channel 'Chungnam TV.' They track subscriber numbers and view counts monthly to evaluate performance. They create reports comparing viewing status by traffic source, country, and age group. They also meticulously analyze views and watch time for each posted content.

This year, Chungnam Province allocated 50 million KRW for YouTube promotional marketing to publicize policies and projects and promote Chungnam TV. The video ads play for 5 seconds before allowing users to skip; charges apply only if users watch more than 30 seconds. About 4 million KRW was spent on video production and approximately 45 million KRW on YouTube advertising.

YouTube is used as a key promotional tool by local governments because it can deliver messages through video content and target diverse consumer groups. For example, Chungju Man famously secured subscribers three times the population of Chungju City with an annual budget of just 600,000 KRW. However, YouTube promotion is not always successful. Gunwi County in Daegu City planned to promote the county through the YouTube channel 'Pisik University' but canceled the content posting and budget execution (72 million KRW) after Pisik University became embroiled in various controversies.

Professor Kim Yonghee of Soongsil University's Department of Business Administration commented on local YouTube promotional projects: "While the intention is to generate buzz and increase user accessibility, the lack of concrete strategy is problematic. Blindly following Chungju City's example will likely cause audience fatigue."

'How bad is plastic bottled water... Surprising changes after switching to tap water' (Reporter Kim Hyunjung)

Microplastics that do not decompose are known to cause cellular damage, cardiovascular diseases, reproductive issues, cancer, immune system impairment, and memory loss in the human body. The most common microplastics we encounter daily come from bottled water in plastic bottles. Recently, a study revealed that consuming microplastics through plastic bottled water may increase blood pressure. An article from August reporting that reducing plastic use could decrease microplastic particles in the bloodstream and potentially lower blood pressure attracted 661 comments, reflecting high public interest.

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[Image source=Pixabay]

A medical research team from Danube Private University in Austria had participants drink only tap water instead of water in plastic or glass bottles for two weeks. The results were remarkable: participants' diastolic blood pressure dropped significantly and remained low even after four weeks.

The research team concluded that reducing plastic use lowers microplastic particles in the bloodstream, potentially reducing blood pressure. Hypertension is a major cause of heart disease.

Microplastics refer to tiny plastic fragments ranging from 5 mm to 1 micrometer (μm; 1 μm is one-millionth of a meter). Particles smaller than 1 μm are called 'nano plastics,' which are about one-billionth of a meter in size. They come in various shapes, including spherical, fiber-like, fragment, and film types.

These tiny plastic particles are widely distributed and circulate in all environments?marine, freshwater, soil, groundwater, and air. They can enter the human body through the ecosystem at any time. For example, fish that have ingested microplastics may end up on human dining tables, or airborne nano plastics can enter the body through the respiratory tract.

The researchers stated regarding blood pressure changes related to microplastic concentration, "Reducing ingestion of plastic particles may lower cardiovascular risk."

Meanwhile, a 2020 U.S. study detected microplastics in 47 organs and tissues, including lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys, from donated cadavers. A 2021 Italian study found 12 microplastics in the placentas of 4 out of 6 mothers. The same year, a U.S. study confirmed plastic particles such as PET in newborn meconium and infant feces. A 2022 Dutch study detected microplastics in human blood.

"COVID-19 is not just a cold"… If you have runny nose, sneezing, fatigue (Reporter Lee Chunhee)

This summer has been rated the 'worst heatwave since 1994.' The Korea Meteorological Administration reported that tropical nights were three times the average (6.5 days), and heatwave days were 2.3 times the average (10.6 days). With continuous heatwaves, immunity has weakened, and increased use of air conditioners has led to a surge in air-conditioning sickness. Symptoms of air-conditioning sickness, such as cough, runny nose, and headache, are similar to those of the recent COVID-19 resurgence, making it easy to confuse the two. An article explaining the symptoms and prevention guidelines for both diseases received much attention this summer.

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[Image source=Yonhap News]

As COVID-19 resurges and heatwaves continue, increased air conditioner use has caused a spike in air-conditioning sickness. Air-conditioning sickness refers to various physical symptoms that occur after prolonged exposure to cold, enclosed spaces. Professor Choi Junyong of Severance Hospital's Infectious Diseases Department said, "Symptoms of air-conditioning sickness are very similar to early COVID-19 symptoms," advising, "It is important to distinguish between air-conditioning sickness and COVID-19 to respond appropriately."

Both diseases share early symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, digestive issues, fatigue, and malaise. However, COVID-19 also presents with high fever, severe muscle pain, sore throat, and breathing difficulties. If symptoms do not improve over time or if COVID-19-specific symptoms like loss of smell or taste appear, testing for COVID-19 is recommended.

Air-conditioning sickness occurs when prolonged exposure to air conditioning causes chills or shivering as the body tries to generate heat, sometimes accompanied by headaches. If cold symptoms appear after long exposure to air conditioning, one should keep warm and rest sufficiently. If muscle pain, cough, or fever above 37.5°C persist, it is advisable to get tested, as Legionella infection?which can accompany air-conditioning sickness?should be ruled out along with COVID-19.

[Image source=Pixabay]

Prevention guidelines for both diseases must be followed. For COVID-19, personal hygiene such as handwashing is essential. Elderly people or those with underlying conditions at high risk should wear masks in crowded places. COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness wanes after six months, so high-risk groups (65+, immunocompromised aged 12-64, residents of vulnerable facilities) should get vaccinated annually.

Preventing air-conditioning sickness is important. Air conditioner filters should be cleaned at least every two weeks and dried thoroughly in sunlight after washing. Ventilate rooms for at least 5 minutes every 2 hours, and maintain indoor temperatures between 25-26°C when using air conditioning.

Trusted Olive Young discount event... But you can buy at 'half price' at this place [Hutdari Economy] (Reporter Kim Jinseon)

Sometimes consumers get disappointed after buying products lured by discount ads, only to find price differences between online and offline stores. Especially at Olive Young, despite the principle of selling products at the same price online and offline, many online products are priced lower than in physical stores, causing consumer complaints. In this era of high prices, an article offering smart shopping tips attracted much online attention.

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Photo by Jinseon Kim carol@

Ms. Yoon Seulgi (29) was about to pay for a full shopping cart at an Olive Young offline store but noticed the official app offered cheaper prices, so she returned the products to the shelves. She ordered the cheaper items online and used the 'Today Dream Pickup' service to collect them in-store. Yoon said, "If I had known about the price difference earlier, I would have bought through the app right away."

The reporter visited several offline stores and compared prices with the official online mall. It was not difficult to find products with different prices between online and offline stores. For example, the Numbersin Soothing Serum was sold for 22,500 KRW in stores with a 1+1 event, but on the app, it was available for 21,660 KRW under the 'Daily Special' discount, including the 1+1 offer. Abib sunscreen was priced at 25,000 KRW offline but was available at a 30% discount for 17,500 KRW on the official online mall.

Photo by Jinseon Kim carol@

The Real Barrier Soothing Cream was similarly priced. It was sold at 42,000 KRW offline without discounts, but the app offered a 52% discount, selling it for 19,900 KRW, plus a 25 ml free gift.

For the Tangle Angel Brush, only the pink color was discounted to 15,900 KRW offline, while the white color was sold at the regular price of 23,000 KRW. However, on the app, all colors were available at 15,900 KRW. The Clio Brow Pencil was sold for 20,000 KRW in stores but listed at a 30% discounted price of 14,000 KRW on the app, with additional refill products given for online purchases.

When asked about the price differences between the app and offline stores, an Olive Young store employee said they were not sure but acknowledged, "There are often price differences between offline stores and the app," recommending customers check the app before purchasing.

Olive Young stated that they apply the 'one product, one price' principle for both online and offline products. When asked about cheaper prices online, they explained, "Some products are discounted through special promotions or daily deals, but this does not violate the one product, one price principle."

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