"Sharp-Eyed Viewer" Helps Reunite Suspicious Man Spotted on YouTube Live with His Family

A Single Real-Time Comment Becomes the Key Clue in the Search
YouTuber, Viewers, and Police Work Together to Find Missing Man After Six Days

A man in his 40s who had been reported missing in Gwangju was accidentally captured on a YouTuber's live broadcast and safely returned to his family. A viewer who paid close attention to the missing person alert text message played a significant role in the rescue.

A man in his 40s who went missing in Gwangju was spotted during a YouTuber's live broadcast and returned to his family. YouTube video capture

On November 25, a video titled "Found a Missing Person During YouTube Live Broadcast" was released on the YouTube channel "Iroi." The video began with the phrase, "Attention creates miracles, and a small act of courage can change a person's life."

YouTuber A was conducting a live broadcast on a street in Gwangju Metropolitan City on the night of November 21 when he noticed a middle-aged man walking alone and talking to himself. Finding this unusual, he followed the man into a claw machine arcade. The two spent a considerable amount of time together, playing the claw machine and having a conversation.

The conversation continued even after they left the store. The man introduced himself as a "23-year-old college student," providing his university, department, and name, but claimed to be much younger than his actual age, which made A suspicious. The man also mentioned that his military service had been postponed. Concerned about how the man would get home late at night, A continued the conversation and offered him a drink, but they did not exchange contact information.

At that moment, a viewer posted in the live chat, saying, "I have information about that person," and shared the contents of the missing person alert text message. The name, physical description, and clothing matched the man in the video. Upon confirming this, A immediately reported the situation to the police. He followed the man and provided real-time updates on their location until the police arrived. Officers at the scene safely took the man into protective custody and reunited him with his family after six days missing.

A expressed his gratitude, saying, "This was only possible thanks to the sharp-eyed viewer," and added, "I usually have missing person alert notifications turned off, but thanks to the viewers, we were able to find him." At the end of the video, he emphasized in subtitles, "The next day, the missing person's family contacted me," and "Our small acts of attention and reporting can reconnect a family."

Viewers who watched the video also commented, "The subscriber who recognized the missing person is amazing," "Even a small act of attention can be a huge help to someone," and "After seeing this, I started paying more attention to missing person alert messages."

Since June 2021, the police have been sending missing person alert text messages to help locate missing individuals more quickly. The number of alerts sent has increased each year, from just 468 in 2021 to 1,613 in 2022, 2,445 in 2023, and 2,745 in 2024.

These missing person alert messages have proven effective in locating missing individuals. Of approximately 7,000 cases where alerts were sent since June 2021, 1,766 missing persons (as of May 2025) were found based on tips from citizens who saw the messages. The time taken to locate missing elderly people with dementia, individuals with intellectual disabilities, and children has also been significantly reduced-from an average of 34 hours before the system was implemented to an average of 4 hours and 36 minutes after, a 7.4-fold decrease.