You might be surprised to learn that South Korea’s most popular daily live stream on YouTube. It has nothing to do with BlackPink, is not about K-pop, and is not a K-drama.
It is a provocative current undertakings television show called “Gyeomson (Unobtrusiveness) Isn’t anything,” fronted by a disrespectful host, Kim Ou-joon, whose absence of concession to power is causing disturbances in a nation where customary media has gained notoriety for conscious inclusion.
Kim’s style is suggestive of a US late-night visit show have. He declares that his objective is to provide a liberal voice to balance what he perceives as a bias toward the conservative government.
Kim stated to CNN, “I think they can do that based on their political stance. Conservative media are actively making biased reports.” The issue with this situation is that they are cloaking themselves in fairness.
Kim’s reckless style stands apart every one of the more given as of late raised worries by the US Branch of Express that South Korean authorities are utilizing slander claims to limit opportunity of articulation.
It featured in a Walk basic freedoms report the instance of telecaster MBC, which is being sued by the International concerns Service for a story in which it guaranteed the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol had been gotten on a hot mic making not exactly free comments about US legislators.
Kim, who has been sued for defamation multiple times, is unfazed by taking on the conservative administration.
Kim’s critics, on the other hand, claim that he only enjoys controversy and that he pays less attention to reports about the liberal Democratic Party.
Politicians with power
However, the show’s reputation for daring to go where others are afraid has greatly improved its viewership. Around 160,000 people tune in every morning at 7:05 a.m. to hear Kim discuss the most pressing issues of the day.
A shifting media landscape is reflected in the popularity of the program, which has more than 1 million subscribers and can generate donations of 90 million won (about $70,000) per day, according to industry observers.
According to them, a growing number of current affairs programs are utilizing YouTube to distribute their content due to the large audiences they attract and the perception that the online environment allows for greater freedom of expression.
For instance, “Modesty is Nothing” is the reincarnation of the radio show “News Factory,” which was taken off the air following a disagreement with the government.
YouTube is widely used in South Korea. As of January of this year, there were over 46 million YouTube users in South Korea, more than 90% of the population (compared to over 70% in the United States), according to Statista, a market and consumer data statistics website.
YouTube’s growing influence was demonstrated in the lead-up to the general election last year, when Yoon, who was a candidate for the People Power Party at the time, saw his popularity decrease as a result of a stumbling performance in a Christmas Day YouTube interview with 3ProTV. In addition, an increasing number of smaller, independent companies of all political persuasions operate their own YouTube channels.
Before the show he had been in a dead heat with rival Lee Jae-myung from the (then, at that point, administering) Leftist faction of Korea; not long after a Gallup review showed him following by around 8% focuses.
The clout of both right and left-wing channels has additionally been displayed in ongoing developments. After Park Geun-hye was impeached in 2017 due to a corruption scandal, rallies in her support were fueled by right-wing channels. they likewise supported fights outside the retirement home of her liberal replacement Moon Jae-in. Outside the residence of the current President Yoon, counter-rallies were supported by left-wing media.
The former leader of Yoon’s party complained about the “evil influence” of YouTube channels last year.
a platform for speech freedom
Given the US State Department’s concerns, YouTube channels are seen as providing a space for free speech, which is even more crucial.
Jung June-hee, a teacher of media at South Korea’s Hanyang College ERICA grounds, said most conventional outlets tried not to scrutinize the public authority – incompletely due to their own traditional leanings yet in addition since they dreaded being sued.
Jung stated, “There have been many cases where the presidential office filed complaints to the media after President Yoon Suk Yeol came to power.”
“The feeling of dread toward being designated, regardless of whether you’re on a similar side, is huge,” Jung said.
According to Rhee June-woong, a professor of communication at Seoul National University, citizens had lost faith in traditional media over time and turned to the internet.
Rhee stated, “We can’t say that traditional newspapers and broadcast media have been completely abandoned; however, an increasing number of citizens are dissatisfied with them and are seeking information, interpretation, and expression in internet media.”
CNN has yet to receive a response from the presidential office regarding its recent defamation lawsuits.
News Factory was closed.
Kim is well aware of the dynamic at play here. His previous show, the publicly funded “News Factory,” was Seoul’s most popular radio show for years and earned him a place among the highest-paid presenters in the country.
It debuted in 2016 on TBS and aired for two hours every Monday through Friday. It featured Kim’s remarks on the topic of the day and a news roundup, followed by segments with journalists, artists, scientists, politicians, and professors.
According to Jung June-hee, a media professor at Hanyang University, its no-holds-barred approach to news analysis and live interviews made it a go-to show for politicos and broke the mold of South Korean media. According to Jung, “previously, politicians didn’t appear on radio shows, and morning radio shows mostly used to deliver information like real-time traffic updates and a summary of the night’s news.”
However, conservatives were enraged by both its oppositional style and its coverage of the scandal surrounding former President Park. At the point when a moderate organization got back to control in 2022 (following a stretch by liberal Moon Jae-in, under whom the show partook in a prime), its days were numbered.
The conservative city council made the announcement shortly thereafter that it intended to reduce TBS’s budget, a move that was widely regarded as a sign of its displeasure with “News Factory.”
In February, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon criticized the show for being “one-sided” and the network TBS for “crossing the line that public broadcasting cannot possibly cross.” Although he denied the connection,
Oh stated, “When public broadcasting is biased and in favor of a particular political party, people in any country can never be patient.”
