17-02-2025
Conservative YouTubers cash in over W600m following Yoon's martial law fallout
Several conservative YouTube channels in South Korea have reportedly seen a surge in revenue through audience donations following President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration on Dec. 3.
According to Rep. Chung Il-young of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Monday, the top 10 conservative-leaning YouTube channels that earned the most from Super Chat donations in the two months following the Dec. 3 incident collectively made 605.76 million won ($420,000).
No specific names of the channels were disclosed as of press time.
The surge was particularly evident after Jan. 15, when authorities attempted to execute an arrest warrant against Yoon, who is currently on trial following his impeachment and criminal indictment on charges of insurrection and abuse of power.
One channel with nearly 1.62 million subscribers saw its Super Chat earnings more than double, from 59 million won in November to 122.83 million won in December. In January, its revenue rose further to 158.5 million won.
Another channel with 520,000 subscribers saw its Super Chat earnings increase from 20.34 million won in November to 45.59 million won in December, before tripling to 66.14 million won in January.
A third channel with 770,000 subscribers saw its Super Chat income grow from 37.87 million won in December to 89.2 million won in January. Over the same period, its subscriber count increased by around 500,000.
'The National Tax Service must examine whether these channels are properly reporting their Super Chat donations and other personal account revenues for taxation. If necessary, a thorough tax investigation should be conducted to recover any unpaid taxes,' Rep. Chung stated.
In South Korea, all revenue generated from online platforms, including ad revenue from YouTube and audience donations such as Super Chat, is subject to comprehensive income tax reporting.
