Comedian Lee Soo-ji’s recent parody of an upscale Gangnam mother has gone viral, sparking renewed interest in fake documentary content.
In a video from her mockumentary series, “Human Documentary: Kids Are Great,” Lee perfectly embodies the so-called ‘Daechi Mom’ stereotype—a wealthy mother from Gangnam’s Daechi-dong neighborhood, known for its intense private education culture—dressed in a glossy Moncler jacket, voluminous hair, and a Chanel bag slung over her shoulder—as she proudly announces, “Jamie just started his math academy.”
Since its release on Feb. 4, the video has amassed more than 7.75 million views as of March 3. A second episode, uploaded in late February, surpassed 4.5 million views in just five days.
Fake documentaries—fictionalized stories presented in a traditional documentary style—are gaining traction in South Korea. Comedians, choreographers, and broadcasters alike are embracing the format, leveraging its blend of humor and realism to captivate audiences.
One standout example is “GABEE GIRL,” a YouTube channel with 800,000 subscribers. The channel’s hit series, “Diva Village Queen Gabee,” is a parody of the 2003 reality show “The Simple Life,” which starred Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian. The series features choreographer Gabee playing her alter ego, ‘Queen Gabee,’ a fictional American influencer.
Since launching the series in May 2024, the channel has seen its subscriber count grow by 270,000 in just three months. By September, “GABEE GIRL” had topped TubeGuide’s domestic YouTube influencer rankings.
Another channel, “beautyfool,” with 1.13 million subscribers, has also gained widespread attention with its fake documentary content. The channel, which brands itself as a “honorary anthropology researcher,” first experimented with the genre in 2022 with a four-part series titled “Documentary: Hwang Eun-jung.”
Subsequent projects have included mockumentary depictions of fictional characters like college freshman Park Se-eun, bubbly high schooler Hong Yu-kyung, and model student Park Hye-jin, all presented in the format of KBS’s long-running human interest program “Screening Humanity.” Particularly notable is “Documentary: Hwang Eun-jung,” which realistically portrays a delinquent student and was even adapted into a feature film in collaboration with Lotte Cinema.
The rise of fake documentaries reflects a broader shift in media consumption, one that experts say is driven by evolving viewing habits and changing audience expectations. As audiences increasingly turn to YouTube and social media for entertainment, traditional content formats are blending with new media trends.
“We are observing a growing preference for consuming TV-style content on YouTube,” said Koo Jeong-woo, a sociology professor at Sungkyunkwan University. “Viewers enjoy the familiarity of conventional formats while experiencing fresh, trend-driven narratives through fake documentaries.”
The genre’s appeal also lies in its sharp social commentary. By portraying fictionalized yet relatable characters, these videos offer subtle critiques of contemporary issues.
Kim, 25, a longtime fan of the genre, said, “Fake documentaries highlight social phenomena in a witty way. Sometimes I wonder, ‘Am I the only one who finds this odd?’—but these videos reassure me that others see it too.”
Experts caution, however, that content creators must carefully consider their messaging.
“Because fake documentaries communicate messages indirectly, creators must be mindful of how their intent comes across,” said Yoo Hyun-jae, a communications professor at Sogang University. “If misinterpreted, they could cause real-world harm, especially to people who resemble their fictional characters.”
