YouTuber Syuka World apologizes for using ‘Sea of Japan’ map
A map labeled “Sea of Japan” is shown during YouTuber Syuka World’s livestream on July 6, while discussing the Nankai earthquake. Captured from an online community
Syuka World, a popular South Korean YouTube channel focusing on economics and finance with 3.59 million subscribers, has issued an apology after displaying a map labeled "Sea of Japan" during a livestream and temporarily banning users who criticized the label.
The creator also pledged a 30 million won ($22,000) donation to support descendants of Korean independence fighters.
In a community post uploaded Monday, Syuka World acknowledged the controversy, saying, “During the livestream on July 6 covering the Japan earthquake, a map labeled ‘Sea of Japan’ was shown. It was a mistake caused by using materials from Japanese sources and is entirely my fault.”
The creator explained that the error occurred when he replaced a previously vetted map just before the livestream with another that appeared more visually appealing. “Despite prior review, the incident happened as I swapped the image right before going live,” he said.
“I find this mistake hard to forgive even for myself, and I sincerely apologize for causing concern,” he continued. “The East Sea is the East Sea, and Dokdo is undoubtedly Korean territory.”
To express remorse, Syuka World said he would immediately donate W30 million to the Korean Red Cross’s program supporting the descendants of independence activists.
The controversy also grew after users who criticized the “Sea of Japan” label in the livestream’s chat were temporarily muted.
Addressing the incident, Syuka World said, “There were reports that some users were muted for 10 minutes for raising concerns about the map. I don’t monitor chat during livestreams, so I was unaware at the time.”
He said a moderator had muted the users in an effort to calm down the chat. “But silencing users who point out legitimate concerns is clearly wrong, and that, too, is my fault,” he said.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.