Between January 14 and 27, a total of 361 videos from 195 channels were identified as spreading fake news about Lee Kang-in. (Image courtesy of Pyler)
SEOUL, Mar. 3 (Korea Bizwire) –In the wake of an internal dispute within the South Korean national soccer team ahead of the Asian Cup semifinal in Qatar, a wave of fake news targeting midfielder Lee Kang-in, the central figure in the so-called “Ping Pong Gate,” has been proliferating on YouTube, sparking concerns.
An analysis by AI company Pyler, which specializes in video content context analysis, revealed that between January 14 and 27, a total of 361 videos from 195 channels were identified as spreading fake news about Lee Kang-in, leading to the blocking of their ad placements. These videos amassed a staggering 69.48 million views.
Pyler estimated that these views could have generated approximately 700 million KRW ($560,000) in revenue, highlighting the lucrative nature of sensationalized fake news on the platform.
The fake news videos bore sensational titles and thumbnails, such as “I Witnessed Lee Kang-in’s Intentional Assault: Everything Exposed in the Klinsmann and Son Heung-min Incident,” “Lee Kang-in’s Jerseys No Longer Selling… Imminent PSG Release, Unreleased Shocking Footage, End of National Team Career,” and “Lee Kang-in’s Family Company in Crisis After Third Revelation of Insubordination.”
One particular video from a channel with about 60,000 subscribers claimed, “(Breaking News) Lee Kang-in’s 28 Billion KRW Contract Terminated, PSG Seoul Store Closure Confirmed! Furious Club Owner Decides Lee Kang-in’s Demotion!”
The video quoted a reporter stating, “The PSG owner made a shocking decision. He has ordered that Lee Kang-in, whose image has tarnished, no longer play in the first team,” and “PSG is deliberating over Lee Kang-in’s future.” However, these claims were baseless and unverified.
Despite being clearly identified as false, this video surpassed 500,000 views and generated revenue through ad placements.
The channel in question produced 21 soccer-related videos by the end of the month, garnering around 3.13 million views in total. Pyler estimated that the channel could have earned between 14 and 32 million won ($11,200 to $25,600) in the last 30 days based on YouTube revenue calculators.
Pyler pointed out the increasing trend of sensational issues and fake news being continuously produced and disseminated on international platforms, which exist in a regulatory gray area.
The company emphasized the need for using AI adtech solutions to prevent inappropriate ad exposure and the financial support of creators spreading fake news, noting the impracticality of ad managers individually checking the placement of every ad on YouTube.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
