Threats Alongside 'Eok' Sound Donations... Inside the Mind of a Political and Current Affairs YouTuber [YouTube and Confirmation Bias]

④Meeting Political and Current Affairs YouTubers at Rally Sites
Monthly Views Reach 90 Million, 2 Million Subscribers
Subscriber Counts and Donations Soar for “XXX TV” Channels
After the Arrest, Some Demand: “Return the Donations”

Editor's NoteIn an era where people search for information on YouTube before portal sites, YouTube's algorithm, which recommends videos matching users' interests, is intensifying confirmation bias on political and social issues. What kind of political world are individual YouTubers, who gather supporters divided into far-right and far-left camps, showing us? Can the world they present truly be trusted? Are we only watching what we want to believe through YouTube due to the filter bubble created by the algorithm? Asia Economy has decided to verify this.

On the 19th, when an arrest warrant was issued for President Yoon Seok-yeol, far-right YouTubers stormed the Western District Court with protesters, damaging furniture in the civil affairs office and causing a disturbance. The YouTubers who incited the riot even broadcast the chaos live. Their excitement was partly due to the fact that their intense support for President Yoon directly translated into donation revenue.

Political YouTubers share their donation account numbers on their channels to receive contributions. Before gathering at the Western District Court, they attempted to rally their supporters by live streaming the scene with multiple cameras at a rally in Hannam-dong for this very reason. YouTuber Woo Soon-ssi (52) explained the revenue structure of political YouTubers, saying, "Real-time broadcasting is essential. Live footage can later be turned into videos, and subscriber numbers can increase significantly." He added, "Especially during live streaming, viewers often send Super Chats (donations), which directly helps generate income."

Seok Dong-hyun, a lawyer who is a classmate of President Yoon Suk-yeol from Seoul National University Law School and a friend of 40 years, spoke to reporters on the 19th in front of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office regarding the investigation into President Yoon on charges of rebellion and the impeachment trial. YouTubers are also broadcasting live from the scene. Photo by Heo Young-han

Jung Yong-hee (43), who runs a personal political YouTube channel, also said, "When filming political scenes, extreme situations often occur, and donations from viewers surge during those times."

After President Yoon's arrest, far-right YouTubers who had been earning donation revenue found themselves in a difficult situation. One far-right YouTuber, whose donations had reached the 1 billion KRW range, said, "After President Yoon's arrest, I received so many protest text messages that I couldn't even check them all." He also revealed, "I have even received death threats from donors who contributed large sums. Honestly, I want to return the donations."

On the 6th, members of conservative groups gathered near the presidential residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, urging opposition to the arrest of President Yoon Seok-yeol, following the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency's official letter stating that the execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon would be entrusted to the police. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Popular political YouTube channels have subscriber counts ranging from 1.5 million to 1.8 million, with monthly views between 20 million and 30 million, sometimes reaching as high as 90 million. This means that political and current affairs YouTube channels with millions of subscribers are generating enormous revenue by focusing on political issues such as the impeachment crisis.

The conservative camp, which has been united through the 'Taegukgi rallies,' is currently led by personal YouTube channels that rapidly grew following the martial law incident. As far-right YouTubers were mentioned as the background behind President Yoon's December 3 martial law incident, the atmosphere at rallies led by them intensified even further.

Progressive YouTubers also acknowledged that far-right YouTubers play a significant role in rallying President Yoon's supporters, who are raising their voices on the opposite side of the rally scene. One YouTuber producing political content said, "Most supporters participating in rallies in front of the presidential residence were from the 70s and 80s generations, but over time, the number of younger people has gradually increased. There are many reports that far-right YouTube channels are actively gathering younger audiences."