Japanese YouTuber's video on Korean poverty sparks 'distortion' controversy

A video by a Japanese travel YouTuber, focusing on homeless individuals and a shantytown, has ignited controversy by portraying them as the "real face of the Korean economy." The channel operator filmed scenes at Seoul Station plaza and the Guryong Village shantytown, questioning the strength of the Korean economy despite reports of a semiconductor boom.

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Although they say there's a semiconductor boom, isn't the Korean economy actually struggling?

The 12-minute video, posted on the channel 'Shizuka's Asia Walk,' claims, "Although they say there's a semiconductor boom, isn't the Korean economy actually struggling?" It shows homeless people in tents or on mats near Seoul Station and in underground passages, with the description noting, "I imagined a dazzling metropolis like Tokyo Station, but there were many homeless people."

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This is the reality of Korea that mainstream media never shows.

The video has garnered over 220,000 views and 611 comments, with some viewers echoing the channel's claims without verification, stating, "This is the reality of Korea that mainstream media never shows" and "Korea's population is half of Japan's, but there are five times more homeless people." However, official statistics contradict this, with South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare reporting 1,349 street homeless individuals in 2024, while Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported 2,591 street homeless people last year.

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Korea's population is half of Japan's, but there are five times more homeless people.

Further controversy surrounds the video's depiction of Guryong Village. The YouTuber compared it to Nishinari Ward in Osaka, known as a dangerous slum. This portrayal omits the fact that Guryong Village is undergoing redevelopment, with land expropriation completed and compensation totaling 1.1 trillion won (approximately $800 million USD) distributed, averaging 4.4 billion won per landowner. While some Japanese viewers agreed with the video's portrayal, others pointed out the lack of context regarding the redevelopment, noting that the area is slated for high-rise apartment construction.

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I imagined a dazzling metropolis like Tokyo Station, but there were many homeless people.