There is a YouTuber 'A' who claims to be a former gangster and has been sharing stories about his time in a Korean organized crime through his YouTube channel. In a broadcast in August, the YouTuber shared, "If you get a murder order, you have to do it." This YouTuber already has 30,000 subscribers and is being referred to as "The 90s Drug King."

Recently, these so-called "Gangster YouTubers" who talk about their organized crime days like the YouTuber mentioned above, have become popular, but it is emerging as a social problem. This is because these individuals are romanticizing and glamorizing crimes such as drug distribution, sexual assault, and more through the stories told through their channels. 

According to a police investigation, the number of these gangster YouTubers increased from 0 in 2018 to 9 in 2022. The police are also working to find internet broadcasters active on platforms other than YouTube.

These individuals claiming to be former and current gang members are gaining popularity as they share stories of their experiences that ordinary people will not be able to experience. According to the YouTube data counting site 'Playboard' on October 11, gangster YouTubers such as Myuncheon Family TV, Changgi TV, and Park Hoon TV received 530 million KRW (~371,130 USD), 350 million KRW (~245,086 USD), and 180 million KRW (~126,100 USD), respectively for the past seven years, from 2015 to this year.

Financial reasons are cited as the reason for gangsters jumping into YouTube. As the content is provocative and sensational, the number of views ranges from thousands to hundreds just by talking about criminal involvement.  'B' is a 50-year-old YouTuber who revealed scars he got from a knife fight with another gangster. He said, "I intend to show a candid and unhidden side. I have no education and am getting old, so I'm on YouTube."

As the age of gangsters is getting younger, there is also an analysis that the inflow of these gangsters on YouTube is increasing. The National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency arrested 1,630 people related to gang crimes through special crackdowns from April to July. About 69% were identified as the MZ generation (young people born after the 1980s), those in their 30s or younger. A police official estimated that these younger gangsters are expanding their activities to online broadcasting.

Given this situation, parents cannot hide their concerns. A 49-year-old mother, an office worker with a 17-year-old son, said, "Even an elementary school student can easily access YouTube, so I'm worried that teenagers will think lightly of these crimes during a rebellious stage in life. Another parent raising an elementary schooler stated, "Children may look up to these gangsters because they think they are popular YouTubers, not criminals." 

A YouTuber who introduces himself as a gangster and has a full-body tattoo said, “The reality is that some gangster YouTubers who say ‘I drive an expensive foreign car or live in a nice house through crime’ are just showing that to make stimulating videos.”

Commissioner Yoon Hee Geun said at the National Assembly Administrative Safety Committee's National Police Agency inspection on October 7, "We are monitoring and cracking down on any gangster YouTubers if they are found to be committing illegal acts." This is in response to the question of the adverse effects that gangster YouTubers will have on young people. On the 7th of last month, the National Police Agency launched a full investigation into the personal broadcasts of former and current gangsters across the country. A police official said, “We are observing for possible imitation crimes or other crimes. We are planning to continue with the monitoring, and there will be more workers who will join the monitoring work."

However, YouTube is considered a blind spot where crimes can't be charged. It is pointed out that it is difficult to punish any individual with just content in which the criminal charges are unclear. A YouTuber in his 30s, known to have been released from prison in June, argued in a video on the 26th of last month, "It's not like we are killing people. Even elementary school students watch YouTube, their parents should simply limit them (from watching)."

A police official said, "Gangster YouTubers stimulate the curiosity of the youth by sharing stories of their past and this is a serious issue. YouTube should prepare certain sanctions such as stricter subscription conditions because actual illegal acts such as assault and intimidation can only be punished if proven." Lee Sang Ho, professor of Media Content at Kyungsang University, explained, "The nature of YouTube is that it is difficult to put sanctions so there are no limits to these gangster YouTubers. So monitoring and observations on the media is desperately needed."