January 22, 2025
Seoul – As South Korea continues to grapple with political unrest following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched declaration of martial law on December 3 last year, YouTube channels have become a means for individuals and small groups to spread their political beliefs and a lucrative business opportunity.
Existing political divisions have been exacerbated by far-right YouTubers, as well as some left-wing channels, who have exploited political unrest to sometimes produce sensational content and sometimes spread misinformation.
On January 15, when the authorities made a high-profile arrest of suspended President Yoon, a different kind of struggle was unfolding outside the presidential residence in Seoul. Political YouTubers are equipped with cameras and smartphones to broadcast live to their ideological audiences. Shouts of “Protect the president!” and “Arrest him now!” filled the air as content creators competed for the most engaging footage.
This craze has brought considerable financial benefits to some YouTube channels.
Goyangenews, a pro-democracy channel with 546,000 subscribers, topped YouTube's global “Super Chat” revenue rankings, amassing about 35 million won ($24,000) in just two days.
YouTube's Super Chat feature allows viewers to send money to their favorite creators and have their messages highlighted in exchange.
Other well-known channels, including Kim Oh-joon's “News Factory” and the conservative “Shinui Hanja”, followed suit, earning 21 million won and 12 million won respectively. When additional donations channeled through individual accounts are taken into account, actual earnings are likely to be much higher.
While many YouTubers are journalists who play an important role in delivering news directly to their viewers, competition for ratings may prompt some of them to stoke divisions by inciting or spreading misinformation. Right-wing channels erroneously reported that Yoon Eun-hye's approval rating had exceeded 40%, while other statistics showed that his approval rating had dropped to 11% after martial law was promulgated.
“The political landscape on YouTube is extremely polarized, with both sides tending to reinforce their own prejudices and beliefs,” said Park Eun-hong, a political science professor at Angkong University.
According to data from Playboard, a Korean platform that ranks global YouTube channels, South Korea's progressive channels earned approximately 134 million won through Super Comment donations during the week of January 9 to 15. In comparison, the top five conservative-leaning channels in Super Chat earned about 125 million won during the same period.
While left-leaning channels have seen a recent surge in revenue during Yoon's arrest, conservative blocs began turning to YouTube as their main source of information during the previous Moon Jae-in administration, when right-leaning channels established a foothold on the platform Sungkyunkwan University Global Inclusion Li Zhongming, a senior researcher at the Content Research Center, said.
Experts believe conservatives initially turned to YouTube to address a lack of representation in traditional media, taking advantage of the platform's rapid growth to cultivate a loyal following.
“In periods when mainstream influence is limited, opposition groups tend to seek alternative spaces to express their views. This dynamic coincides with the rise of YouTube and the needs of the conservative base,” Lee explains.
Notably, older people in South Korea increasingly rely on YouTube as their primary source of news. At a recent rally in support of Yoon, a 70-year-old protester declared unwavering trust in the platform, saying: “YouTube is the only source of truth.” Protesters expressed regret that some people are unable to access the Internet, Hopefully they can “watch and understand the truth about election fraud.”
Park said this reliance stems from YouTube's algorithm-based design, which feeds viewers increasingly similar content, creating an echo chamber effect. The seamless integration of online and offline events—livestreaming protests and raising financial support through Super Chat—further solidifies this echo chamber effect.
“Audiences not only consume content but actively participate in the narrative, creating a cycle of blind belief and polarization,” Parker said.
The influence of YouTubers also leads to real-world consequences, with their comments potentially triggering violent confrontations. At a rally last weekend, far-right cleric Jeon Kwang-hoon urged followers to consider enforcing “effective death” after a man set himself on fire in front of the Office of the Senior Officials' Corruption Investigation Office. . In another incident, clashes between protesters resulted in stabbings.
“Every weekend after martial law was implemented, I would go to rallies in front of President Yoon's official residence,” said a 68-year-old man surnamed Kim. She said verbal insults and physical confrontations with opposing protesters were a daily occurrence for her.
Experts warn that YouTube's polarizing effect could further exacerbate conflict. Jeon Sang-jin, a sociology professor at Sogang University, said: “The comments of YouTube users could ignite fanatical supporters and could lead to more extreme actions.”
To address these growing concerns, experts agree that stricter measures are necessary and call on governments and platforms to take a more active role in combating misinformation.
