"We live in an era where views count as performance. Clicks are the evaluation."
After the presidential office recently ordered ministers, vice ministers, and even senior civil servants to promote policies directly through social media (SNS) such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, a subtle ripple has spread through the Sejong government complex. Their SNS activity will also be reflected in evaluations of each ministry's policy communication.
According to the government on the 9th, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok runs "Kim Min-seok TV," Minister Kim Yun-duk of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport runs "Kim Yun-duk TV," Fair Trade Commission Chair Ju Biung-ghi runs "Ju Biung-ghi TV," and Minister Kim Seong-hwan of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment runs "Kim Seong-hwan TV," among other YouTube channels under their own names. Senior government officials have appeared on SNS all at once, reportedly due to the president's directive to "strengthen direct communication with the public."
The recent talk of the town was the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' YouTube channel "Nong-leowa TV." In particular, a video posted in Aug. reportedly surpassed 10,000 views. Spokesperson Jeon Han-young produced a parody of the "Sodapop Challenge" from "K-pop Demon Hunters" to promote the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Food Security Ministers' Meeting. Jeon wore a pink wig, transformed into the character "Abby," and performed a dance.
The problem is that working-level civil servants say they feel burdened. A Director General at an economic ministry said, "We've entered an era where we have to prioritize video quality and view counts over policy outcomes," adding with a wry smile, "Isn't content becoming more important than policy?"
In particular, among senior officials in their 50s and older who are unfamiliar with SNS, there are repeated remarks that "preparing for broadcasts is a far bigger burden than the work itself."
Some ministries are operating dedicated filming staff to produce SNS content for senior officials, or their external promotion teams are effectively functioning as YouTube editing units. An official at one ministry said, "If shorts filmed by ministers and vice ministers get fewer than 1,000 views, the entire department feels stressed."
Internet content, including SNS, has the advantage of being low cost and high efficiency, but for senior public officials it can be a "double-edged sword." A single mistake can spread far and wide and lead to irreparable consequences.
A representative case is former First Vice Minister Lee Sang-gyeong of the transport ministry. Lee appeared on the real estate YouTube channel "Bu-ik-nam" and was criticized by public opinion for saying, "You can buy when prices fall," and eventually voluntarily resigned amid added allegations of gap investment. A senior official said, "We live in an era where a single phrase on YouTube can spread nationwide in an instant," adding, "The weight of words is not what it used to be."
The line between roles and responsibilities surrounding public officials' use of SNS remains blurry. There is a demand to deliver policy in one's "own voice," but if it is interpreted as a political message, all responsibility can fall back on the official. The saying that "political appointees may chase approval ratings, but career civil servants must be ready to submit a resignation over a single slip of the tongue" is not just a complaint.
In the digital age, changes in how policy is communicated are unavoidable. But policy should not be swayed by video view counts. SNS is only one channel to convey policy; it should not become the goal.
At a time when the public sector can easily lose the essence while checking boxes for communication format, what matters is not "who speaks where," but "what the public actually feels." Public officials should remember that the sincerity of policy is ultimately proven not by words, but by execution.