Back in May, on the SsookSsook YouTube series Meeting, Yang Se Chan was mulling over starting a new YouTube channel. “I can't make anyone uncomfortable, I should be happy, and the viewers need something new,” he thought out loud. And he knew that’s not easy. “But I have to do something, right?” These days, everyone’s starting their own YouTube channel, or at least trying to figure out how. Even celebrities who’ve been around for 20 years are hopping on the trend. Though big names making guest appearances on YouTube or starting their own channels is nothing new, it’s gotten to the point now where it’s no longer optional. Showing up on somebody’s channel or giving a peek into the everyday life of a celebrity can have a significantly more far-reaching impact than just being on TV.
YouTube channels like Channel Fullmoon (6.5 million subscribers, as of September 9), GYM JONG KOOK (three million subscribers), and DdeunDdeun (2.1 million subscribers)—featuring producer Nah Yung seok, entertainer Kim Jong Kook, and TV personality Yoo Jae-suk, respectively—have enough clout to invite other celebrity guests onto their shows, and their influence only grows with every new and exciting project they launch. Below you’ll find interviews with Egg Is Coming member Kim Ye Seul, a producer at Channel Fullmoon; Kalos Kim, producer and director of operations for GYM JONG KOOK; and Jo Eunjin and Kim Songhwa, producer and writer, respectively, for DdeunDdeun and Pinggyego. These creators of the YouTube era gave us their insight into where celebrity YouTube is at today.
