Chinese Influencer Who Debunked Rumors That "Koreans Are Too Poor to Eat Meat or Watermelon" Disappears

All Social Media Accounts Suspended
"Digital Death"

Famous Chinese influencer Hu Qianfeng, who had previously criticized some Chinese people for believing fake news about Korea as if it were real, has suddenly disappeared, according to reports.

A 78-year-old woman living in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, was accidentally met on the street, and she shared her story of surviving solely on a rural social security pension of 107 yuan per month (about 21,000 won). The video of them shopping together also attracted attention. Photo by Chen Chufen, a famous Chinese influencer. Screenshot from Chen Chufen's social media.

On September 21, local media outlets such as China Radio International reported that Hu Qianfeng's accounts on social media platforms including Douyin, Weibo, and TikTok had all been simultaneously suspended. His last public appearance was during a live broadcast on September 16. On his Weibo page, which had nearly 900,000 subscribers, a message now states, "This account is currently suspended due to violations of relevant laws and regulations." All posts have also disappeared from his Douyin account, which had over 1.3 million subscribers.

China Radio International described this as an "unannounced digital death." Local media speculated that the decisive reason for the suspension of Hu Qianfeng's accounts was his repeated claims, since last year, about the "entrenchment of class society in China." He had compared the social classes in China to the competition between Apple and Android in the smartphone market, describing "Apple people" as those attending Sino-US joint universities and consuming foreign brands, while "Android people" referred to the working class in contrast.

Since 2023, Hu Qianfeng had already been temporarily suspended five times from Chinese social media platforms for reasons such as disparaging Chinese tea and promoting elite urban lifestyles. Media outlets analyzed that this "comprehensive suspension" means Hu Qianfeng has finally crossed the "red line."

After starting his career as a solo content creator, he produced videos highlighting differences in purchasing power between countries, such as "'Living in Thailand for a Month on 100 Yuan' (about 20,000 won)." One video that drew attention featured a 78-year-old woman he met by chance on the streets of Chengdu, Sichuan Province, who survives solely on a rural social security pension of 107 yuan (about 21,000 won) per month, as they went grocery shopping together. However, after releasing the video of his conversation with this woman, he was temporarily suspended, and Chinese netizens criticized the authorities, saying, "You must not film the lives of people at the bottom of society in China."

Famous Chinese influencer Hu Qianfeng (Chen). Screenshot from Hu Qianfeng's social media service (SNS).

He also produced a video titled "Shopping at a Supermarket with Korea's Daily Minimum Wage," in which he went shopping at a large supermarket in Seoul with 78,880 won, the amount earned by working eight hours at Korea's statutory minimum hourly wage (9,860 won as of last year). With this money, he bought chicken, milk, half a watermelon, and more, stating, "Korea's purchasing power is incredibly strong." This was apparently intended to refute rumors widely spread online in China that "Koreans are so poor they cannot afford expensive items like watermelon or meat."

Additionally, regarding Korea, he remarked, "Korea is truly an advanced country," and pointed out, "China must learn from Korea's strengths if it wants to become an advanced country as well."