For this cultural post, I will be talking about the controversy regarding Tzuyang. Tzuyang, or Park Jeong Won, has been caught up in a huge controversy that has been occurring in Korea, which involves backdoor online advertising. This young YouTuber has gotten big for her huge appetite and bright personality. She has always had this innocent and kind image, but people were shocked when they found out that she had been secretly advertising products without the knowledge of the viewers. The issue with this was that she specifically said that she was not taking sponsorships, so we could see where the issue lies.
In August, a YouTuber by the name of Cham PD was receiving backlash for the same reason. He lost over a million subscribers and was getting a huge amount of backlash from the community. However, he was not going to go down alone. He released a video that exposed dozens of fellow YouTubers that were doing the same thing, which included Tzuyang. This came as a huge surprise to the community because of the reputation she had, but the evidence he presented seemed irrefutable. As a result, an apology video was made.
In the image above, a snapshot of Tzuyang can be seen, where she is giving an apology for the actions she had committed. The public was confused and outraged because the video confirmed that she was admitting to receiving money for this backdoor advertisement. The young girl and her manager came together and released a formal apology. She burst into tears and continuously asked for forgiveness from her subscribers, but would ultimately state that she would quit YouTube altogether.
The response the young girl received was mixed. Many were furious at her for lying and taking money and sponsorships when she said she wasn’t, while some were empathizing with the girl. Some claimed that she was too young and it was the actions of her manager or older people that influenced her decisions. But the majority still looked at the situation negatively and she was “canceled”.
When I personally heard of this situation I felt indifferent but surprised at the reaction the viewers had. As a YouTube watcher in America, I know that American YouTubers take sponsorships all the time and I see that as a normal thing. Many people who pursue YouTube wish to make their content creation as a profession and as a result, would need money in order to achieve that. As a result, I was always comfortable with this concept. So, I was confused when I found out that accepting sponsorships and advertising was looked so down upon in Korea. I feel as though she should have been more honest about her sponsorships and advertisements, but I also feel like she deserves the treatment she is getting for explicitly lying to her viewers. It is interesting though because though she said she would quit YouTube, she took about a two-month hiatus and has resumed making videos, which makes me question the validity of her apology video.
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