YouTube Channels Suddenly Deleted, Suppression of Freedom of Speech in South Korea

2021-10-29, Tara O

On October 20, 2021, YouTube suddenly deleted two popular channels on YouTube:  Newstown and Freedom News.

These channels have reported on a variety of topics, including the ones that the Moon administration dislikes, such as the flag demonstrations (that the major media do not cover), election fraud (also not covered by major media), and “5.18”—the Gwangju incident of 1980—that does not follow the ruling party’s narrative.

Recently, it also has covered the massive corruption scandal by the ruling party’s presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung.  Unlike the other topics above, this corruption scandal is widely covered by major media in South Korea.

Newstown issued a statement after YouTube deleted its channel, and it can be read here.  On the evening of October 20, 2021, Lee Sang-ro (이상로) of Freedom News stated on another Youtube channel that YouTube deleted his Freedom News channel.  (11:00)  Prior to this, Dr.Ji Man-won’s channel, which focuses on the Gwangju incident (“5.18”) on Youtube was also completely deleted.

On March 8, 2019, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC, 방송통신위원회) introduced measures to temporarily block the social media content it disliked.  In an essay on the East Asia Research Center website, numerous YouTube videos were uploaded, but as of October 28, 2021, 4 of 9 videos have been blocked, with 1 video becoming a “private video” and not able to be seen by the general public.  See here.  On March 29, 2019, Korea Communications Standards Commission / KCSC (방송통신심의위원회 / 방심위) made a decision to block access to videos on YouTube about “North Korean forces involvement in 5.18 (the Gwangju Incident of May 1980).”  They ensured they excluded Mr. Lee Sang-ro (이상로), who the opposition party nominated when they met to make the decision. 

Additionally, YouTubers have been arrested and imprisoned; imprisoned currently are Choi Tae-woon, who received 2 years sentence and Koo Ja-woong, who received 6 months sentence, both for “defamation.”  Journalist and YouTuber Woo Jong-chang, who was jailed for “defamation” was released earlier this year from prison.  See here and here and here and here.

More measures and laws have passed in South Korea since then to suppress freedom of speech, which is an anti-More measures and laws have passed in South Korea since then to suppress freedom of speech, which is an anti-constitutional act.  South Korea’s Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, but the suppression of freedom of speech and freedom of the press continue. Neither the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (Deobureo Minjoo Party) nor the main opposition People Power Party are condemning the suppression of freedom of speech of its citizens.