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| Baek-ho, a Welsh Corgi that became a YouTube sensation / Courtesy of Kang Seung-yeon |
By Lee Hae-rin
Corgi YouTube star Baek-ho's human owner Kang Seung-yeon, 32, is a regular donor to charities supporting abandoned animals. Kang creates and uploads videos of her daily life with Baek-ho on her YouTube and social media channels and donates all of the related income to animal welfare causes.
Over 128,000 animal lovers have subscribed to Baek-ho's YouTube channel, "Baek-ho Next Door," while over 640,000 people follow him on Twitter and Instagram combined. Baek-ho was on the cover of the April edition of Big Issue Korea, and before the pandemic used to have a regular "fan walk" with 300 to 400 subscribers.
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| Baek-ho, a Welsh Corgi YouTube star, appears on the cover of the April edition of Big Issue Korea. / Courtesy of Kang Seung-yeon |
"It started out as something very personal in 2015 ― an online diary to look back when Baek-ho passes and a backup folder of his photos and videos in case I lose my phone," Kang told The Korea Times. "I didn't know back then that Baek-ho would be so famous."
Kang is not sure why the channel became such a success, but says she always tries to portray Baek-ho's life with honesty.
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| Kang Seung-yeon and Baek-ho take a walk together in this photo taken in 2020. / Courtesy of Kang Seung-yeon |
"In my videos, we sometimes have a fight when Baek-ho makes a mess or we go to veterinary clinics for medical check-ups. Baek-ho may not always be as cute as people expect pets to be, but I want to show how animal friends go through the joys and sorrows of life with us, as naturally as possible," Kang said.
Kang has been donating all of the revenues from her YouTube channel and Baek-ho calendars to no-kill shelters around the country since 2015. About three tons of pet food, boxes of blankets and other necessities are sent in Baek-ho's name twice a year.
"I donate simply because I can. It's our way of returning the love so many people have given to Baek-ho via social media channels. We're in this together," Kang said.
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