November Overseas Premium Membership Fee Increase
Google Takes Action Against Payment Methods in Other Countries
User Opinions Divided Over YouTube Asylum Actions
"Why is Google's tax avoidance and bypass payment bad?"
"Considering the usage, 20,000 won is cheap. If you want to enjoy it, pay for it."
Google has announced a price increase for YouTube Premium memberships in some countries while cracking down on 'YouTube Premium exiles.' Since the beginning of this month, Google has strictly enforced that membership payments can only be made using payment methods issued in the respective countries, leading to divided opinions among YouTube users regarding the act of YouTube exile.
Recently, Google informed users in certain countries that YouTube Premium membership prices will increase by up to 56% starting this November. YouTube Premium is a paid service offering features such as ad removal, background playback, and video downloads.
The targeted countries number 17: Argentina, Ireland, Switzerland, Australia, Austria, Chile, Germany, Poland, T?rkiye, Czech Republic, Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Colombia, and Thailand. South Korea is excluded from this list.
The price hike backlash has affected domestic YouTube exiles. It was confirmed that from the time of the overseas price increase, membership payments using global card brands such as Mastercard issued in South Korea are no longer possible.
These users have been accessing content by bypassing their actual IP addresses on their PCs or mobile devices to overseas countries such as Latin America or Africa through Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), paying for memberships at much cheaper rates. To evade Google's crackdown, they periodically changed their payment country via bypass connections. They even added the prefix 'Honorary' before the payment country name, calling themselves 'Honorary Ukrainians,' 'Honorary Ghanaians,' and so on.
A notification message stating the need for a payment method issued in Nigeria, an African country [Photo by Online Community]
Especially around the 17th, as Google's crackdown on fraudulent payment methods intensified, these users vented their frustrations online about Google's profiteering and the lack of a domestic family plan. They expressed displeasure with comments like "Monopolies are so scary," "Why crack down after making us emigrate with expensive plans," or actively shared tips such as "This country is not blocked yet," "Try creating a virtual card number," and "Just use the Reband app."
South Korea's YouTube Premium membership price is relatively high compared to other countries. As of the 23rd, the individual plan costs 14,900 won per month in South Korea. For iPhone in-app payments, it rises to 19,500 won. There is only one plan type: the individual plan. In contrast, multiple countries offer separate family plans. For example, in Argentina, the individual plan costs 869 Argentine pesos (about 1,300 won) per month, and the family plan costs 1,569 Argentine pesos (about 2,500 won). The family plan can be used by up to six people.
Domestic users' reactions to the persistent attempts at YouTube exile despite Google's strong measures were mixed. Office worker Jeong (25) said, "Bypassing itself is a freedom. Korea is too expensive. I think I would use it if it were about 5,000 won." On the other hand, Lee, a 30-something office worker who joined YouTube Premium early, said, "I was told I only had to pay 8,690 won per month for life, but suddenly the price went up, which made me angry," adding, "Still, if you are going to use it, I think it's right to pay for it."
Kim Kyung-hoon, President of Google Korea, responding to a lawmaker's question at the National Assembly audit [Photo by Yonhap News]
YouTube Premium membership was also pointed out as an issue at the recent National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee audit. Park Chung-kwon, a member of the People Power Party, claimed, "Unlike overseas where YouTube Premium is offered with family plans that are 60-70% cheaper than regular plans and student plans about 40% cheaper, discrimination against domestic consumers continues."
Kim Kyung-hoon, President of Google Korea, who appeared at the audit, explained, "YouTube headquarters decides the prices, considering various factors such as economic income and past country-specific price increase rates." Kim also revealed that they are considering launching a 'YouTube Premium Lite' plan, which excludes YouTube Music to lower the price.
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