How Korea's 'dark side' found fame on YouTube

Korea Herald

28-01-2025

YouTube creators are drawing millions of views by peeling back the polished image of South Korea to reveal its lesser-known struggles
Over the past year, a flood of English-language YouTube clips has garnered millions of views by diving into South Korea's 'dark side.' These viral clips shed light on the country's intense work culture, skyrocketing housing prices, cutthroat education system, and the grip of chaebol conglomerates on its economy.
The allure? A paradoxical mix of glamor and grit. For many international audiences, the question is irresistible: how can a country known for its polished K-pop idols, technological innovation, and cultural exports harbor such deep challenges?
French sociologist Christophe Gaudin, who has taught political science in Kookmin University in Seoul since 2007, says these videos soar in popularity because South Korea embodies what he calls a 'utopian–dystopian society.'
'Over the last few decades, Korea modernized at an incredible pace. On one hand, you see stunning achievements in technology, culture, and living standards. On the other, you find severe inequality, enormous stress, and political shake-ups,' he said.
'That tension,' he explained, 'is what makes Korea so compelling on YouTube. It's a society that sparks wonder and anxiety at the same time, especially given the current political crisis.'
A prime example is 'South Korea is a Dystopia,' uploaded on Dec. 28 last year, by the channel 'fern.' Already at 3.4 million views, it begins with chilling images of the 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy, accusing government officials and powerful conglomerates, called chaebol, of placing profits before safety. The narrator describes how 'cozy ties' between business and politics allegedly let corporate elites ignore rules that might have prevented the disaster.
Another viral piece, 'South Korea is Broken,' published in November last year by 'Gattsu,' has 1.4 million views. It focuses on Korea's world-lowest fertility rate and the crushing cost of education.
'Many viewers abroad are stunned,' says Gaudin, 'because on the surface, Korea seems so advanced and wealthy. But these videos show the strain behind that success.'
Recent political turmoil has only increased global curiosity. On Dec. 3, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, accusing his opponents in the parliament of antistate activities. South Korea's National Assembly overruled him within hours, sparking a wave of resignations and arrests in the following weeks.
By Dec. 14, Yoon was impeached. Even the acting president was about two weeks later ousted in a whirlwind of political intrigue. 'Such drama,' Gaudin says, 'feeds the narrative that this country is both highly developed yet somehow on the brink.'
A grain of truth, a dose of sensationalism
Agnes Ng, a 30-year-old IT consultant from Singapore, first discovered these videos after a trip to Seoul last October. 'I fell in love with the sleek subway system and great food,' she recalls. 'But when I asked locals about their work hours, they spoke of near-constant overtime. When I got back, I watched 'South Korea is Broken' and thought, 'This might be exaggerated, but it's not completely off.''
Media communications professor Kim Chun-sik at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies says this is partly driven by YouTube's algorithms. 'Sensational titles like 'dystopia' or 'broken' get immediate clicks,' he said. 'A compelling, shocking story will rank high in recommendations, so more people see it. That cycle drives view counts into the millions.'
But some say these narratives miss the bigger picture.
Professor Choi Young Jun, a public policy expert at Yonsei University, warns that all-or-nothing labels don't capture Korea's complex reality. 'Yes, we have serious problems: extreme competition in schools, a housing crisis, chaebol dominance. But we also debate these issues openly. We impeach presidents through a legitimate process, we protest injustice in the streets, and we tackle inequalities in our media."
"It's not a simple dystopia," he says.
Why the 'dark side' resonates, especially now
Overblown or not, the videos have found massive audiences.
According to Gaudin, many foreigners start paying attention once they notice parallels in their own countries. 'They see rising costs of living, political friction, and job insecurity at home,' he says. 'Then they watch a video describing the same issues in Korea, magnified by faster growth and a more intense social structure. It resonates.'
Byron Ong, 35, a self-employed business owner from Malaysia, first came to Korean content via K-dramas.
'They had beautiful sets and heartfelt stories,' he says. 'But then I found a channel calling Korea a 'cyberpunk dystopia,' full of neon lights and overworked citizens. At first, I was skeptical. Now, I can't stop watching because the reality is so layered -- there's high-speed internet and high-quality public transport everywhere, but also punishing school schedules and reports of corporate corruption.'
"South Korea is a Cyberpunk Dystopia" is a video created by YouTuber Quinn Henry, which has amassed over 3.1 million views since its release in Feb. 2023. The video paints South Korea as a real-world embodiment of the cyberpunk genre -- think neon lights, hypermodern skyscrapers, and technological prowess, juxtaposed against societal decay.
Henry told The Korea Herald that Korea's polished international image is what actually enhances the impact of its darker realities. 'South Korea's global success in media and technology makes its struggles feel more shocking,' he said. 'You could make a similar video about Singapore, but it wouldn't resonate as strongly because people aren't as emotionally invested in Singapore.'
A self-critical society
Gaudin notes that Korea's willingness to critique itself fuels this fascination. Popular films like "Parasite" and series like "Squid Game" expose the country's social inequalities for all to see.
'The democracy and freedom that allowed Korean creators to produce such self-critical works have also inspired outsiders to explore the country's challenges, even if sometimes through sensationalized lenses,' he added.
Agnes believes the interest in 'dark side' content will keep growing. 'Once you love a country's music and dramas,' she says, 'you naturally dig deeper. And if the real story has drama — like government crackdowns or shocking corporate scandals — people get hooked.'