Backlash exposes risks of solo content creation
Comedian Lee Su-ji poses during a red carpet event for the Baeksang Arts Awards at Coex in Seoul, May 8. Newsis
Recent public apologies by comedian Lee Su-ji and viral content creator Kim Seon-tae have exposed the growing risks facing one-person digital brands, highlighting a structural vulnerability in the fast-moving digital media landscape.
While these creators have significant media power, they lack the basic review process used to block offensive or politically sensitive content used by larger entities.
This downside became clear when Lee issued a written apology on her YouTube channel Hot Issue Ji on Saturday.
The 41-year-old faced intense backlash over her recent satirical sketch depicting municipal civil servants dealing with demanding visitors. Viewers criticized the video for mocking citizens involved in the ongoing controversy over the June 3 local elections, arguing it wrongly portrayed protesters as angry complainers.
The incident marks a turning point for Lee, who built her career on sharp social satire across multiple platforms.
Since debuting in 2008, she has consistently tapped into societal trends. From her breakout role in KBS TV’s Gag Concert mimicking voice phishing scams to her acclaimed parodies on the streaming platform Coupang Play, Lee has been celebrated for her hyper-realistic portrayals of everyday figures and pop culture icons.
However, her transition into short-form YouTube content revealed the double-edged sword of digital satire.
Lee admitted she did not think about how her acting could hurt people involved in sensitive political issues. She said she felt deep regret for causing pain to anyone, even if she just wanted to make people laugh, and her team deleted the video.
In a handwritten letter posted on her channel, Lee apologized for not being more careful.
"I sincerely apologize for causing disappointment and discomfort to many people," she wrote. "Regardless of my intention to bring laughter, I take it with a heavy heart that my performance and content caused pain and offense to someone. I failed to fully consider that my acting could bring discomfort to others."
Content creator Kim Seon-tae apologizes on his YouTube channel, July 31 over recent controversy surrounding his KBS show. Captured from Kim's YouTube
This challenge becomes even clearer as individual creators take on larger roles in the broader media landscape.
Kim Seon-tae, a former civil servant who gained national fame as Chungju Man before becoming an independent media personality, stepped down on July 31 as the host of the KBS show "Don Seon-tae: Era of Success."
Kim rose to national stardom after turning the YouTube channel for Chungju, a city of about 200,000 people in North Chungcheong Province, into a massive viral hit with his creative content.
However, Kim faced strong criticism for causing secondary harm to Woni, a member of K-pop girl group RESCENE, during a preview episode.
Even though Woni clearly felt uncomfortable, Kim kept asking questions about a controversy over her use of a local dialect, asking if she did it just to get attention. The problem got worse when the production team used clickbait thumbnails.
In a follow-up video on his YouTube channel on July 30, Kim apologized and admitted he struggled to communicate with the production crew. "I clearly lack the ability to host a show alone without proper support," Kim said.
The next day, Kim issued a second statement to announce his departure from the show and apologized once again. The production team also released an official apology. As a result, the show was canceled after its preview episode, and the full slate of episodes were not released.