YouTube Boom: Top Korean Stars Flock to the Platform, But Not Everyone’s Impressed
A trending post on the Korean online forum theqoo titled “Actors Who Are Now Active on YouTube” is drawing major attention as it captures a growing trend in the entertainment industry: high-profile actors turning to YouTube to connect with fans.
The post highlights a list of top-tier names such as Han Ga-in, Go Hyun-jung, Lee Min-jung, Ko So-young, Kim Nam-joo, and Kim Kang-woo, all of whom have either launched their own YouTube channels or regularly feature in content on the platform.
Many of their videos have quickly gone viral, some surpassing millions of views, showing a strong public appetite for candid, behind-the-scenes glimpses into these stars’ lives.
The original poster made an interesting observation:
“Seems like a lot of female actors are doing this… haven’t seen many male actors, though?”
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Netizens expressed mixed feelings in the comment section. Some welcomed the content, enjoying the casual, personal atmosphere compared to polished TV appearances. Others, however, voiced concerns about growing commercialization, noting the rising presence of product placements and ad-heavy formats that dilute the authenticity many initially sought in YouTube content.
Comments on theqoo:
- They’re doing YouTube for PPL (product placement) and to make money.
- Jang Geun-suk has a YouTube channel too, lol.
- I just don’t like it. In the end, even the YouTube ecosystem is getting eaten up by celebrities. All the formats are the same, it’s such an easy way to make money with barely any effort. Lol.
- The film and drama world already runs on PPL, and unless celebrities are constantly taking on roles, they have to shoot ads to make money—now it’s just shifted to YouTube. That’s why I get bored and don’t watch celebrity content. Especially the stuff from Honeybee Studio, it’s all the same pattern. Yongnyeo teacher is fun now, but I bet they’ll start loading it with ads later. The fact that they had a giveaway in the first episode makes it obvious a bunch of sponsors are already lined up.
- Yeah, there are a lot of them…
As traditional broadcasting continues to evolve, YouTube is becoming a powerful space where celebrities can craft their own narratives and directly engage with fans. Whether out of creative freedom, personal branding, or new revenue streams, the trend of Korean actors on YouTube doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
