Bucheon Crackdown Against Online Streamers Appears to be Working
This may be a sign that the culture is shifting against these online streamers:
A banner put up by the city government reads, “Illegal YouTubers out. Stop threatening citizens’ safety and merchants’ livelihoods,” in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Park Ung
In response, the city announced a crackdown on streamers in September 2025, citing broadcasts that seriously damaged its brand image and harmed merchants and residents. It applied crime prevention strategies using environmental design techniques in the parks and streets where streamers often gathered, removing seating to keep them from lingering and stepping up patrols.
Last month, the city said disruptive streaming near Bucheon Station has declined. Related complaints filed through the government’s online petition portal fell 71.4 percent, from 77 in the second half of last year to 22 in the first half of this year.
On Wednesday, streamers were still broadcasting around Bucheon Station from early morning, alone or in groups of two or three. Residents said things have calmed down considerably since last year’s peak, though some streamers still frequent the area.
“The number dropped a lot when the city ran a campaign and the media covered it heavily last year. At its worst, it was definitely noisy, with people drinking and broadcasting here. The shouting was unpleasant, too,” said Kim Myung-seop, 39, who has run a butcher shop near the station for 10 years.
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