![Rep. Kwak Sang-eon of the Democratic Party of Korea. [Provided by lawmaker's office]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/15/news-p.v1.20260513.68c87195b0474a0a99065433764df20a_P1.jpg)
Rep. Kwak Sang-eon of the Democratic Party of Korea, son-in-law of late President Roh Moo-hyun, criticized the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation for centering its operations on promoting former foundation chairman Yoo Si-min rather than fulfilling its founding mission.
Speaking during a YouTube livestream on June 12, Kwak said former Chairman Yoo appears in 68 percent of all videos on the foundation's YouTube channel, and that content featuring Yoo and people associated with him accounts for 76 percent of total viewing time. "I genuinely cannot tell who the foundation is effectively promoting," he said.
Kwak said he had personally analyzed the foundation's YouTube channel and found that of roughly 2,000 videos posted, only 360 — comprising 220 regular videos and 140 short-form clips — were related to the late former president.
By contrast, he said, content featuring former Chairman Yoo accounts for about 70 percent of the channel's total output.
"I don't know whether it is normal to mobilize the foundation's physical and human resources for that kind of operation," Kwak said.
He added that he had no reason to oppose the foundation or harbor any ill intent toward it, but that problems arise because it is not being run in accordance with its founding purpose. "This is a foundation that the public supports for the sake of the late president's political philosophy and achievements," he said. "Because it is not being run as intended, I felt compelled to speak up."
Kwak drew an analogy to illustrate his point. "If a bakery stops selling bread and pastries and only talks about the head of a bread company, it becomes a PR agency for that executive," he said. "And if it only talks about former and past heads of the company, it is being used as a PR agency for those former heads."
He also raised questions about the channel's finances, noting that its subscriber count exceeds 1 million. "I have heard that once you pass 1 million subscribers, you generate revenue — quite a lot of money, from what I understand," he said. "I have no idea how that revenue is being handled."
Kwak also cited the foundation's live broadcast of a book launch event for former Chairman Yoo in April as an example. "If they think it is good that 'Yoo Si-min's Allleeeo' content on the foundation's channel is driving subscriber growth, they could simply create a separate channel for it," he said. "Should the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation be grateful to former Chairman Yoo?"
Meanwhile, last September Kwak criticized pro-government broadcaster Kim Ou-joon, saying "YouTube power is wielding political power."
yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com
