YouTuber Wonji Faces Subscriber Backlash Over Employee Work Conditions
Travel YouTuber Wonji (37, Lee Wonji) is experiencing a rapid decline in her channel's subscriber count following a controversy over her employees' working conditions on October 20. While many YouTubers have faced controversies, few have seen such a swift drop in subscribers. Viewers who unsubscribed expressed disappointment, stating, "She is obsessed with ventilation and even studied architecture, yet she made her employees work in poor conditions."
On September 20, Wonji introduced her office on her YouTube channel 'Wonji's Day.' The workspace was a cramped 6-pyeong (approximately 213 square feet) area located on the second basement level. The revelation that three employees worked in this space sparked criticism. Viewers commented, "It feels suffocating," "Is this a chicken coop?" and "The conditions are too poor."
Wonji responded on the same day, admitting, "As it's my first office, there seem to be many shortcomings," and promised to "accept the feedback and show improvement." Despite issuing a second apology, her subscriber count continues to fall. Before the controversy, she had 1.02 million subscribers, but as of 4 PM on the 3rd, it has dropped to 996,000, a loss of 24,000 subscribers in less than two weeks.
YouTuber Wonji Faces Subscriber Backlash Over Employee Work Conditions
This subscriber exodus contrasts with past controversies involving celebrities like Sayuri and Baek Jong-won, who faced backlash but did not see significant subscriber losses. Sayuri was criticized for her views on her son's education, while Baek Jong-won faced legal issues related to food labeling and hygiene violations. Both issued apologies, but their subscriber counts remained stable.
YouTuber Wonji Faces Subscriber Backlash Over Employee Work Conditions
A similar case to Wonji's is the 'passion pay' controversy involving Davichi member Kang Min-kyung in 2023. She posted a job listing for her shopping mall requiring a four-year degree and foreign language skills, offering an annual salary of 25 million won (approximately $21,000). Critics pointed out the low salary, especially after it was revealed that her gas stove cost 27 million won. Despite the backlash, Kang's YouTube subscriber count remained unaffected and has since grown to 1.54 million. The difference was that the controversy stemmed from a job listing, not a YouTube video, and Kang quickly clarified the issue.
YouTuber Wonji Faces Subscriber Backlash Over Employee Work Conditions
Wonji often emphasized the importance of ventilation and her dislike for feeling confined in her videos. She left her previous job due to poor work-life balance and benefits, stating she became a travel YouTuber because she disliked feeling trapped. The criticism centers on the fact that she made her employees work in a windowless, cramped basement.
In her second apology on September 20, Wonji wrote, "I feel ashamed thinking that if readers hadn't pointed it out, I might have continued to impose sacrifices on my employees." Some viewers interpreted this as, "If you hadn't said anything, I would have continued as is."
Sayuri, after her controversy, expressed a desire to learn and improve her character in a subsequent video. Kang Min-kyung also posted a video titled 'The Story After the Job Listing,' consulting with a labor attorney. Both acknowledged their mistakes and showed a willingness to improve.
Actions speak louder than words. What Wonji needs to do is not issue repeated apologies but quickly show improvements to her office in a video.
