"Super Chat Hits Billions Monthly... Amid Korea's Turmoil, Seizing the Moment to Make Money"

Live Coverage at Protest Sites by All Sides...
Escalation in Extremism to Gain Attention

During the over 100 days of political turmoil caused by the December 3 emergency martial law situation, political YouTubers experienced an 'unexpected boom.'

On the 23rd, Yonhap News cited the YouTube statistics site 'Playboard' and reported that from December last year, when the emergency martial law situation broke out, to the past three months, the domestic YouTube channel that received the most Super Chats (cash donations) was the conservative political channel 'Shinuihansu.' This channel earned about 310 million KRW in total.

The progressive-leaning 'Gyeomson-eun Himdeulda News Factory' earned about 240 million KRW during the same period, followed by the conservative 'Ground C' and 'Hongcheolgi TV,' which earned approximately 140 million KRW and 130 million KRW respectively.

The stage of YouTubers. Yonhap News

It is rare for channels that ranked first in monthly domestic Super Chat rankings to receive more than 100 million KRW in Super Chats in a single month. This suggests that viewers' attention and support during the martial law and impeachment trial political situation were concentrated on political YouTubers.

In fact, in December, when the emergency martial law was declared, News Factory earned about 150 million KRW in just one month. Kim Eo-jun, who runs this channel, attracted attention by claiming at the December National Assembly that he received tips such as 'Han Dong-hoon was shot after arrest.'

In January, when President Yoon Seok-yeol was arrested, Shinuihansu, which consistently uploaded live videos near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, earned about 160 million KRW through Super Chats.

Some well-known channels like 'Shin Namseongyeondae' were excluded from the rankings due to 'monetization suspension,' also known as the yellow sticker measure. However, considering that most political YouTubers also display their bank account numbers in videos to encourage individual donations besides Super Chats, their earnings are likely not insignificant.

On the afternoon of the 16th, the second day since President Yoon Seok-yeol was arrested by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency on charges of leading an insurrection, YouTubers were filming supporters of President Yoon at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Yonhap News

There has also been significant advancement by YouTubers who were not well known to the public. The progressive-leaning 'Goyanginews,' which live-streamed the presidential residence grounds with a telephoto lens during the President Yoon's arrest situation, received 90 million KRW worth of Super Chats in January alone. In the same month, 'Jeolmeun Sigak,' which broadcast scenes of storming into the Seoul Western District Court and being arrested by the police, is estimated to have earned about 50 million KRW.

Meanwhile, some political YouTubers hoping to gain attention engage in extreme behavior in real life. In fact, near the Constitutional Court, many YouTubers on both sides of the impeachment debate live-stream themselves shouting insults and causing disturbances toward the opposing side.

Professor Yoo Hyun-jae of the Department of Journalism and Communication at Sogang University expressed concern to Yonhap News, saying, "If these people gain attention and make money through conflict, they are unlikely to want compromise or coexistence," warning that they may continue to incite hatred and clashes.