A YouTube “silver play button” has become an unlikely new status symbol in South Korean politics.
As lawmakers seek more direct ways to reach voters, the silver button, awarded to channels with over 100,000 subscribers, has become a mark of success.
But the shift to direct communication carries both political opportunity and hidden costs.
In the 300-seat National Assembly, lawmakers are increasingly using the US-based video platform to bypass traditional media and speak directly to voters, with some pulling in half a million subscribers.
Estimates compiled by The Korea Herald from publicly available YouTube data show that, as of Feb. 1, 25 South Korean lawmakers had more than 100,000 subscribers, qualifying them for silver play buttons. Of these, 19 were from liberal or left-leaning parties and six were conservatives.
Rep. Jung Chung-rae, a four-term lawmaker and chair of the Democratic Party, topped the list with 687,000 subscribers, followed by Reps. Kim Byung-joo and Park Sun-won with more than 500,000 each. Other Democratic Party lawmakers with large followings included Reps. Park Ju-min and Choo Mi-ae, both exceeding 300,000 subscribers, while Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor Basic Income Party ranked fifth overall with 375,000.
Among conservatives, first-term lawmaker Rep. Joo Jin-woo led the People Power Party with 362,000 subscribers, followed by Reps. Yu Yong-weon, Ahn Cheol-soo, Cho Jung-hun and Na Kyung-won. Rep. Lee Jun-seok, chair of the minor conservative Reform Party, also surpassed 200,000 subscribers.
Subscriber numbers showed little link to seniority: Among 25 lawmakers with silver play buttons, eight were first-term lawmakers and seven were serving their second term, underscoring that digital reach depends more on content and timing than political rank.
Yet experts warn against mistaking online engagement for broad public support.
“The key challenge for democracies worldwide will be learning how political actors adapt to these platforms, and whether they can do so without allowing a small, highly vocal online minority to define political debate,” said James Bisbee, an associate professor of political science at Vanderbilt University.
South Korean politicians’ YouTube activities saw an upsurge during the crisis triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempted imposition of martial law in December 2024. The episode drove a surge of viewers — particularly to liberal lawmakers’ channels.
On the night of Dec. 3, as the crisis unfolded, several liberal lawmakers livestreamed their movements into the National Assembly and their confrontations with soldiers deployed to the building. In the days that followed, Reps. Kim Byung-joo and Park Sun-won co-hosted widely watched broadcasts featuring unprecedented on-air confessions from senior military figures.
In separate livestreams on Dec. 6, former Army Special Warfare Command chief Kwak Jong-keun and former Capital Defense Command chief Lee Jin-woo publicly apologized for their roles in the crisis. Kwak’s admission that he had received an order from Yoon to “drag people out” of the Assembly became key evidence supporting allegations that Yoon had attempted a self-coup. Those broadcasts remain the most-viewed live videos on Kim’s channel since it was launched in June 2020.
“People were deeply shaken by a serious threat to democracy,” Park, a first-term lawmaker and former deputy director of South Korea’s intelligence agency, told The Korea Herald. He attributed the sharp rise in subscribers in December 2024 to the public’s “desire for accurate information and fact-finding amid political turmoil,” adding that the response reflected “the Korean people’s strong will to defend democracy.”
Kim, a former Army general turned lawmaker, echoed that assessment. An official from his office said political content gained traction as “public anxiety over the political crisis intensified,” adding that earning a silver play button symbolized “a strong commitment to communicating directly with the public.”
Conservatives find their footing
Not all success stories, however, came from the liberal camp. Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party drew viewers critical of then-Democratic Party leader Lee Jae Myung. According to Joo’s office, his prediction — made a week before a November 2024 district court ruling — that Lee would receive a one-year prison sentence helped his channel gain 20,000 subscribers almost overnight.
Since its launch in April 2024, Joo’s channel has grown to 362,000 subscribers and repositioned him as a conservative political commentator. Unlike many lawmakers’ channels, which serve largely as archives of speeches, committee meetings and policy events, Joo’s focuses on commentary and analysis. His office said aides manage the channel using data-driven strategies, including analyses of posting times, viewer retention and engagement.
Reaching 100,000 subscribers is a steep challenge for most lawmakers. Among the 284 lawmakers — out of 296 incumbents — who operate YouTube channels under their own names, the average subscriber count is about 32,100, while the median stands at just 4,660.
As South Korea approaches local elections in June, online popularity appears to be strengthening some lawmakers’ electoral ambitions. At least six of the 25 silver play button holders are considering or have announced bids to run in June.
Kim Byung-joo confirmed in early January his intention to run for governor of Gyeonggi Province, while Rep. Min Hyung-bae of the Democratic Party is seeking to lead a proposed megacity combining Gwangju and South Jeolla Province.
Min’s channel, with about 78,000 subscribers, stands out for a lawmaker elected outside the Seoul metropolitan area. Nineteen of the 25 silver play button holders represent districts in Greater Seoul, which includes Gyeonggi Province and Incheon. Four were elected through proportional representation, and only two represent districts in Busan and Ulsan.
On average, lawmakers from Greater Seoul have about 54,400 subscribers, while no province outside the region — except South Chungcheong — averages more than 10,000 subscribers per lawmaker. An official from Min’s office said his YouTube presence — the largest among lawmakers from Gwangju and South Jeolla combined — helps elevate regional issues to the national stage by signaling political reach and scalability.
At the same time, critics warn that YouTube’s incentives may deepen political divisions. Some lawmakers with large followings regularly target political opponents to satisfy supporters who favor confrontational content.
Left-leaning Rep. Choi Hyuck-jin, for example, runs a popular playlist titled “Choi Hyuck-jin’s Roaring,” featuring heated exchanges with officials and rivals. Rep. Yong Hye-in’s channel includes a series called “Carbonated Water Yong Hye-in,” highlighting her sharp style in parliamentary questioning.
Such dynamics can constrain politicians, scholars say.
“A lawmaker may hesitate to compromise or moderate their stance out of fear that supporters will turn against them,” said Lee Jong-eun, an assistant professor of political science at North Greenville University.
The platform’s competitive logic also tends to reward provocative or performative content. “Material like this spreads faster and farther than careful policy discussion,” Bisbee said.
That, in turn, may intensify polarization.
“Lawmakers’ social media platforms are likely to reinforce existing beliefs by allowing supporters to gather and share only affirming content,” said Eom Ki-hong, a professor of political science at Kyungpook National University. “This echo-chamber effect ultimately deepens polarization.”
Lee of North Greenville University added that politically engaged viewers may increasingly “selectively consume media from politicians who align with their own ideology,” further entrenching divisions.
