YouTube Stars Jinwoo and Hattie Address Rumors of $5.3 Million Annual Income

Jinwoo and Hattie, a YouTube couple with 9 million subscribers, have addressed the rumors surrounding their alleged annual income of $5.3 million.

On the October 11th episode of SBS's 'Same Bed, Different Dreams 2 - You Are My Destiny,' the couple, who met at 23 and married at 25, made their first appearance.

Jinwoo and Hattie have achieved a staggering 5.8 billion views on their YouTube channel, amassing 9 million subscribers in just four years since its inception. They reached 1 million subscribers within a year and a half of launching their channel in 2020. Recognized by Forbes Korea as one of the 2024 Power YouTube TOP10, their annual income was rumored to be $5.3 million.

However, Jinwoo clarified, "It would be great if we earned that much, but I think there's been a miscalculation between short-form and long-form content. Short-form content earns about 1% of what long-form does. We still rent our apartment, have debts to pay, and don't own a car."

Currently residing in Gangnam, the couple reflected on their journey, saying, "We've come up together from the bottom and feel a sense of accomplishment." Hattie shared, "My first home was a semi-basement in Chuncheon with lots of cockroaches. As our YouTube channel grew, we moved to a ground-floor studio in Sindang, then to an old apartment in Jongno, and finally to a villa in Gangnam before settling in a Gangnam apartment, which took us five years."

Jinwoo also revealed that despite the rumored $5.3 million income, their live broadcast earnings are modest. He humorously noted, "I earn about enough for two chickens," and added, "I don't do live broadcasts for income; there are other ways to earn."

Hattie also shared why she decided to marry Jinwoo at a young age, saying, "You can't help but fall in love with Jinwoo." Jinwoo jokingly added, "I was dragged by the collar, and before I knew it, I was married and sitting here."

On the same episode, Italian broadcaster Cristina, her husband Kim Hyun-jun, and Sayuri visited the couple's home to spend time with them. Sayuri asked how Jinwoo and Hattie met, to which Jinwoo replied, "We met on a dating app. Hattie contacted me two weeks after arriving in Korea. I liked her profile, and she liked mine back." Hattie added, "My husband is tall, and I wanted to marry him as soon as we met. I loved him at first sight, and we married after a year of dating." Jinwoo echoed her sentiments, saying, "I felt something special when I first saw her."