A YouTube channel in South Korea recently received a lot of views by uploading fake news content. A video claiming that President Yoon Suk-Yeol performed a toast song at singer Lim Young-woong’s wedding (the singer is unmarried and has not yet announced plans to get married any time soon) and another video titled “Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-young’s remarriage” - also not true - are prime examples of the fake news content on this channel.
The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) requested YouTube remove or block the channel. YouTube denied the request, claiming the channel “did not violate any of its policies.”
YouTube is the most used social media platform in South Korea, but it is increasingly under fire for its arbitrary content distribution standards, which include abusing its monopolistic position by neglecting to address defamatory videos and shorts. YouTube claims it deletes harmful content based on its community guidelines and policies, which include “spam & deceptive practices”, “sensitive content: sex & nudity” and “violent or dangerous content”. But the specific criteria applied for content removal have never been disclosed.
“We’re honestly dying to know what specific criteria are applied in removing content from YouTube - it’s been so inconsistent all these years,” said a frustrated senior KCSC official.
The issue of content regulation on YouTube is compounded by the fact that the platform’s servers are located overseas, making it difficult for Korean authorities to identify and pursue legal action against perpetrators of defamation. Jang Won-young, a member of girl group IVE, filed a request with a U.S. court in May last year to disclose the identity of the YouTube channel that defamed her. While she was able to identify the channel operator and take legal action, it’s a tall order for someone who is not a high-profile celebrity.
YouTube’s position in Korea is further complicated by its apparent immunity from domestic regulations. Local companies such as Kakao and Naver are subject to rules by the Korea Communications Commission and the Fair Trade Commission and frequently face public scrutiny during parliamentary audits. YouTube, on the other hand, operates in a realm largely untouched by both formal and informal regulations. YouTube-parent Google is reputed for advocating its interests in U.S.-South Korea trade negotiations.
The Korea Press Foundation’s “Digital News Report 2023″ survey revealed that 53% of South Koreans rely on YouTube as their primary news source, almost double the average of the 46 countries surveyed, including the U.S., where the figure stands at 30%. This prevalence has raised concerns about the spread of misinformation, as YouTube often features biased or extreme news content, overshadowing more fact-based media.
Instead of trying to stop the spread of fake news, South Korean politicians are fanning the flame by using YouTube to benefit their campaigns in the general elections. “The only way to address YouTube’s unregulated status lies in legislative action, but the politicians responsible for this seem indifferent to the situation,” said a government official.
Several YouTube channels became popular within the ruling People Power Party (PPP) after it was reported that President Yoon and key figures in the government were regular viewers of these channels. One channel that advocated for Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon as the next PPP interim leader last year rose to prominence as a “favored channel” from the PPP after Han was nominated as interim leader two months ago. These channels have gained more power as the party recruited people who appeared on these channels as talent. A similar trend is observed in the Democratic Party of Korea, where the competition to feature on YouTube channels that support party leader Lee Jae-myung is fierce.
Regarding politics, YouTube is rife with unfounded accusations and defamatory content. When Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was attacked in Busan last month, a conservative YouTube channel claimed that “he was stabbed in the neck with chopsticks, not a knife,” suggesting that it was a self-inflicted wound. A liberal YouTuber made similar comments regarding the attack on politician Bae Hyun-jin when she was attacked on the street by a teen who bludgeoned her with a stone.
YouTube is now the most-used social media platform in South Korea, surpassing the mobile messaging app KakaoTalk, which is used by 45 million people in the country. YouTube created an ecosystem where anyone can become a content creator, or YouTuber, by uploading videos that no longer require hefty investment or expensive equipment. This accessibility has led to a surge in Korean YouTubers, with their combined annual income reaching hundreds of billions of won. The platform’s influence is so significant that YouTuber is now the fourth most desired career among elementary students in Korea.
“With the general election just around the corner, neither side will refrain from using YouTube channels to their advantage,” said Yoon Tae-gon, head of political analysis at political consulting firm Moa. “Politicians need to seriously discuss the use of YouTube and its harms and find ways to improve it after the election.”
