People Addicted to 'Korean-Style Study Broadcasts'... "Comforted by Virtual Partners, Popular in the UK, USA, and India"

A study broadcast YouTuber is filming their study video.
Photo by YouTube screen capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Foreign media have reported that 'gongbang' (study broadcasts), where Korean students stream themselves studying on YouTube, are spreading overseas and gaining popularity.

On the 14th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, "Korean students provide a virtual partner when studying through 'gongbang' or 'study broadcast' videos."

Introducing a study broadcast YouTube video, it explained, "The video closely focuses on a Korean female student sitting at a table studying, accompanied by the bleak sounds of flipping pages and pencil scratching on paper," adding, "This video is called 'gongbang' in Korea, where people study for hours in almost complete silence."

It continued, "Many Korean students study up to 16 hours a day to prepare for difficult universities or university entrance exams. This video trend is believed to have started after Korean students filmed themselves diligently looking at textbooks so their parents could see them studying."

SCMP stated, "People watching the videos feel as if they have a 'virtual partner,' studying together with someone. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic making online classes a global standard, viewership has surged."

It also added that those who have to study vast amounts find comfort and motivation in watching gongbang videos, realizing they are not alone in facing overwhelming academic stress.

British 'gongbang' YouTuber Ruby Granger introduced by SCMP. / Photo by YouTube channel 'Ruby Granger' screenshot

SCMP reported, "This unique Korean 'gongbang' trend is spreading and gaining popularity in other countries such as the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and India," noting, "Ruby Granger, an English literature student at the University of Exeter in the UK, boasts 563,000 subscribers on her gongbang channel."

In the United States, Dr. Jamie from New York first started her gongbang channel by documenting her medical school days. She currently has 406,000 subscribers. A medical student in India who started a gongbang channel also has 170,000 subscribers.

SCMP explained that most gongbang YouTubers do not run their channels for fame or money, but some earn income through advertisements. "Some YouTubers donate their earnings or provide gift cards to subscribers who achieve good grades," the report added.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.