Actors in 40s, 50s, beyond rush to YouTube amid traditional media decline

Kim Nam-joo speaks on her YouTube channel / Captured from Kim's YouTube

Veteran actresses in their 40s, 50s and older are shedding their air of mystery and taking on the challenge of YouTube.

The most recent example is Kim Nam-joo, who is jumping into YouTube for the first time in her 31-year career. Starting Thursday, she began sharing her life with the public through her eponymous YouTube channel.

“It seems like the world has changed a lot. In this era when a fun world unfolds inside our phones, I found myself watching YouTube at some point. I wanted to get closer to everyone in this space, so I decided to start a YouTube channel to show my true self without any pretense,” she said in the introduction to her first video.

The content is also being broadcast through SBS Life’s new program, “Queen of Taste," marking her first solo appearance on an entertainment program since her debut in 1994.

Actor Han Ga-in began her YouTube activities last September, followed by Ko Hyun-joung, Lee Min-jung and Ko So-young. Han and Lee resonate with viewers by showing their real-life roles as mothers, while actor Ko Hyun-joung is gaining attention for sharing her skincare routine. Actor Ko So-young has garnered a positive response for revealing her down-to-earth daily life.

Actor Sunwoo Yong-yeo is seen in her YouTube channel. Captured from Sunwoo's YouTube

Sunwoo Yong-yeo, 79, the legendary sitcom star from "Soonpoong Clinic," is also making a splash on YouTube. Her channel, Soonpoong Sunwoo Yong-yeo, surpassed 200,000 subscribers just one month after its launch in April.

"My life is just beginning now," she declared in her first video. As of Thursday, six videos, excluding shorts, have been uploaded to the channel, with an average of 2 million views each. The most watched video has 3.4 million views.

In a video where she shares her daily life, driving a Mercedes and eating hotel breakfasts, she revealed that she had previously suffered from malnutrition and had a stroke. “What’s the point of saving money if it’s at the expense of my body? You can’t take money with you when you go. There’s no use buying clothes worth tens of millions of won if you eat like a beggar. You should eat good food, and as long as your clothes are clean, that’s enough,” she said.

Fans watching her daily life left supportive comments such as, “It’s like a sitcom about a rich grandma — so fun!” and “Watching a healthy elderly woman live her life is so hopeful and joyful.”

Lee Mi-sook has also started a YouTube channel. “Now I want to show more of myself,” the 65-year-old actress said in one of her videos, revealing her bare face and graying hair. Although luxury bag boxes were stacked in her home, she said she mostly carries eco-bags. The video showing a down-to-earth side behind her glamorous image surpassed 1 million views within four days of being posted.

Actor Lee Mi-sook is seen in her YouTube channel. Captured from Lee's YouTube

The number of traditional drama and film productions has decreased in recent years, and it is especially rare to see stories centered around actresses in their 40s or older. They are pushed to the margins of the spotlight, according to experts.

The biggest advantage of using YouTube is that they are not burdened by specific schedules and can unfold their lives at their own pace and in their own voice.

“Unlike in the past, when it might have been natural to simply retire, these individuals have begun to speak for themselves again. They turn their daily lives into stories that can be consumed. Especially if they are people who have rarely revealed their private side before, public interest is all the greater,” said culture critic Jung Duk-hyun.

Critic Kim Sung-soo also agrees that the daily lives of those who are not usually public has high value as content. “For highly popular actresses, an easier way to maintain their recognition and popularity is to appear on entertainment content. While top star YouTube channels can attract a lot of initial attention, to sustain that interest, they need something more than just star power," Kim said.