As a recent missing person case involving a woman in Jeju has emerged as a major social issue, the fallout has unexpectedly landed on a promotional ambassador and YouTube creator for Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.
YouTuber What's mean is a creator who has mainly produced content centered around Jeju culture and the Jeju dialect. He has gathered 400,000 subscribers by steadily showcasing daily vlogs alongside skit-style YouTube Shorts.
He has promoted Jeju through a wide range of content, from introducing lesser-known Jeju regions, cultures, and dialects to serious topics such as attending the April 3rd Massacre Memorial Ceremony. One subscriber left a comment on his video saying, "The natural weather of Jeju, the pain of its history, and Jeju's unique stories with wit and humor... Jeju is currently stagnant in various ways, but watching What's mean makes me dream of strength and hope once again."
However, following a recent missing person case involving a woman in her 30s surnamed Jang in Jeju, What's mean became the target of attacks from some online users. As this incident brought intense spotlight onto the entire island, What's mean's content introducing Jeju was flooded with malicious comments mocking his safety, starting with jeers like "Jeju Island is Kill-ju Island," followed by comments such as "If you're going to Jeju, you need to go prepared to disappear," "Did he get a missing person closure treatment too?", and "If you are alive, please upload a video..RIP."
In particular, even on a vlog featuring Oedodong, Jeju City, uploaded by What's mean, excessive mocking continued, such as "Be careful not to die under suspicious circumstances," "Jeju Island has become like Cambodia," and "It would go well if you did a Jeju Island body-search content." At the same time, some voices are calling to refrain from indiscriminate malicious comments, saying, "This is an incident unrelated to him, why mock him to this extent?" and "It's not What's mean's fault, so I support him."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)