YouTuber KwakTube Faces Controversy Over Sponsored Post Amid Wife's Public Servant Status

Korean travel YouTuber KwakTube, whose real name is Kwak Jun-bin, recently found himself in hot water after posting and then deleting a 'sponsored' tag related to a postpartum care center on his social media. The incident has sparked discussions about potential violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, commonly known as the Kim Young-ran Act, due to his wife's status as a public servant.

On November 1, KwakTube shared a post on Instagram with the caption "Thus, a father is born," and initially included a hashtag indicating that the postpartum care center stay was sponsored.

However, the sudden removal of the 'sponsored' hashtag raised eyebrows online, leading to speculation that the deletion was a precautionary measure considering his wife's public servant status.

As the controversy grew, KwakTube's agency, SM C&C, clarified through a media outlet that the sponsorship was limited to a room upgrade service, which prompted the removal of the hashtag.

The postpartum care center in question charges 3.5 million KRW (approximately $3,000) per week for a Royal Suite and 4.6 million KRW (approximately $3,900) for a Suite Room based on 2025 contracts. For two weeks, the Royal Suite costs 6 million KRW (approximately $5,100), and the Suite Room is 9 million KRW (approximately $7,700), with the Suite Room price rising to 13 million KRW (approximately $11,100) for three weeks. The Presidential Room starts at 15 million KRW (approximately $12,800) per week. Even if only a room upgrade was received, the price difference ranges from a minimum of 3.6 million KRW (approximately $3,100) to a maximum of 18.1 million KRW (approximately $15,500).

Under the current Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, public servants are prohibited from receiving gifts or services exceeding 1 million KRW (approximately $850) per instance, regardless of their job relevance. Although the benefits were received by KwakTube as a YouTuber, the fact that the actual service user is his wife, a public servant, raises potential legal and ethical issues.

KwakTube, born in 1992, is 34 years old. He held a private wedding ceremony in October last year at a hotel in Yeouido, Seoul. His wife is five years younger than him. The couple initially planned to marry this year but moved up the date due to his wife's pregnancy.

Reporter Da-yeon Jeong, TenAsia light@tenasia.co.kr