Former professional baseball player Jo Yong-hun, 37, who once played for the national team, filmed YouTube broadcasts with Bucheon Station on Subway Line No. 1 in the Seoul metropolitan area as his main stage. Jo fell from an apartment rooftop during a live broadcast on the 17th and died, and this place was also near Bucheon Station. At the time of the fall, a street campaign was underway at Bucheon Station following a launch ceremony hosted by the city of Bucheon for the "Citizens' Countermeasure Committee to Eradicate 'trash YouTubers' at Bucheon Station."
Since 2022, YouTubers have caused controversy in the Bucheon Station area by shouting, getting into scuffles, or engaging in bizarre behavior. Merchants say their businesses are being hit. But there is no way to stop the YouTubers, so the city of Bucheon has been limited to campaigns. ChosunBiz looked into what is going on.
◇ YouTubers' antics… swimming and rolling in the street
The plaza and streets in front of the station bustled with YouTubers. In just 10 minutes, the reporter counted more than 20. A man who had fixed his phone to a tripod bit off and swallowed an arm-thick yellow pickled radish whole, while next to him another YouTuber with a cigarette in his mouth shouted, "Thank you, bro. Is there anyone who can send 100 more star balloons?"
Calls to "eradicate trash YouTubers" have emerged because YouTubers are flocking to Bucheon Station. YouTuber A, who said they have been broadcasting at Bucheon Station for 10 months, said, "After a few YouTubers succeeded in Bucheon, everyone across the country followed."
The places YouTubers frequent are the plaza in front of Bucheon Station and the area around Pinocchio Plaza, about 150 meters from the station. Because YouTubers sit on the sidewalk and broadcast with their tripods set up, resembling sparrows perched on power lines, the area has earned the nickname "Bucheon Station power line." When police go on patrol, YouTubers sometimes toss away disposable cups with the coffee they were drinking or cigarette butts and run off.
They try to rack up views with stunt content that makes viewers frown. One YouTuber stepped into a shallow puddle on the road around Bucheon Station and pretended to swim. Clothes were soaked in dirty water, but they didn't care. They also aired scenes of rolling across a crosswalk.
Violent incidents also occur. On the 20th of last month, a woman YouTuber in her 30s stabbed a male YouTuber with a weapon.
◇ Merchants say "customers dislike the noisy YouTubers"
As YouTubers run rampant around Bucheon Station, merchants in the nearby food alley say they are suffering damage. Kang, a 50-year-old employee at a Korean restaurant, said, "When several YouTubers come, it gets noisy nearby and customers' faces sometimes get filmed, so customers don't like it," adding, "Times are tough as it is, and this makes it harder."
Ordinary citizens also feel inconvenienced. Kwon, a 50-year-old office worker, said, "For YouTubers, shouting and swearing are routine. It's unpleasant even for adults, and it's the worst for children's education," adding, "Bucheon's image has been damaged."
Kim, 25, said, "There are too many people doing strange things, like a woman YouTuber running around after taking off everything on top down to her underwear," adding, "I wish all YouTubers would disappear from Bucheon." The city of Bucheon has received 90 complaints related to YouTubers so far this year.
◇ YouTuber says "police tell us to stop broadcasting even though we haven't caused any inconvenience"
YouTubers say all are being blamed for the misbehavior of a few. YouTuber A, who was live-streaming at Bucheon Station, said, "Even though I haven't caused any particular inconvenience, police come and tell me to stop broadcasting. At that moment, the viewer flow is completely cut off." Lee, a 36-year-old YouTuber in their seventh year, said, "I donate 1 million won every month and do good deeds, but only the antics get highlighted," adding, "The city of Bucheon is just trying to drive out YouTubers without consultation."
However, YouTuber B said, "There are definitely people who do strange things. If I were a merchant, I would have no choice but to oppose it," adding, "It's not that I don't understand the city of Bucheon's position."
An official at the city of Bucheon said, "Freedom of content production and expression should be respected, but acts that threaten citizens' daily lives cannot be accepted," adding, "We will respond firmly to root out illegal and bizarre broadcasting activities."
However, under current law, there is no basis to crack down on street broadcasting. Police can intervene only when there is a clear act of public indecency, such as using violence or taking off one's top. So the city of Bucheon is responding by changing the environment so YouTubers cannot stay. Recently, it removed stone benches that YouTubers used as chairs, eliminating places to sit to make broadcasting inconvenient.