Gamdonglan speaks on her YouTube channel. Recorded from YouTube
“Drugs, sex and money, it’s a jungle out here,” says BJ Gamdonglan
By KTimes
A scandal involving a former gang member turned YouTuber and internet broadcaster (BJ) who was arrested for drug use and trafficking has recently sparked outrage. His colleague Gamdonglan (real name Kim So-eun) publicly criticized the behavior of BJs and the online streaming platform AfreecaTV, where many of them are active, describing the environment as a “jungle.”
On Friday, Gamdonglan, who is mainly active on AfreecaTV, posted a long message on the community page of her YouTube channel.
“Another drug scandal involving an AfreecaTV presenter has come to light. In most cases, only the distributors and sellers end up in prison, while first-time users usually get off with a fine or a suspended sentence. The penalties for drug offenses are too lenient,” she said.
Gamdonglan also targeted AfreecaTV’s content management system.
“AfreecaTV is desperately trying to improve its image by treating gambling as a minor issue while being incredibly lenient towards serious crimes such as promoting prostitution, engaging in sex work and drug use. This is the height of hypocrisy,” she said.
She said that even if someone serves a prison sentence or gets involved in a scandal, they can easily return and earn millions every month and live a good life.
Gamdonglan also criticized AfreecaTV’s content format, arguing that it encourages BJs to engage in inappropriate behavior.
She specifically mentioned “Excel Broadcasting,” a type of stream where viewers who donate money are ranked in a list similar to an Excel spreadsheet. These streams often feature multiple female BJs dancing in response to receiving star balloons or donations, and are usually hosted by male BJs.
A scene from an “Excel broadcast” by BJ / Recorded by AfreecaTV
Weak sanctions against problematic hosts
Gamdonglan described the current state of Internet broadcasting as a “jungle” in which in-person broadcasts have become increasingly difficult, forcing broadcasters to partner with influential groups to make money.
“They have to take drugs and engage in sexual activities,” she claimed. “If they don’t do that, they won’t be accepted into the inner circle and donations will stop,” she said.
Gamdonglan added: “Currently, in the (Internet) broadcasting world, you can only make money with ‘Excel broadcasts’, but you have to pay a price for that.”
She concluded: “This place functions like a cyber pimp and is a jungle of exploitation.”
The controversy erupted after it was reported on August 22 that the Seoul Gangnam Police Station had arrested 33-year-old BJ Kim for violating the Drug Control Act.
He was transferred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on August 23. Kim is accused of using drugs such as ketamine and selling tens of millions of won worth of narcotics at a friend’s house from October 2022 to August 2023.
Kim, who openly identified himself as a gang member, was active as both a YouTuber and an internet broadcaster. His YouTube channel currently has 260,000 subscribers.
This article from Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
