Renowned Korean history lecturer Jeon Han-gil, known for supporting former President Yoon Seok-yeol’s state of emergency declaration and opposing his impeachment, claimed that his retirement was more of a dismissal rather than a voluntary decision. Jeon stated in a video posted on his YouTube channel on the 16th that there was pressure on his company to end his contract, saying, “People were telling them to fire me. They were inciting actions against me on Naver Café, questioning how someone like me could teach Korean history.”
Jeon explained that, though he reached an agreement with his company to terminate the contract to prevent harming the company, it effectively felt like he was being fired. He also claimed that his YouTube channel was no longer generating revenue. He mentioned conducting “Jeon Han-gil News” to pay his staff, but unlike other channels that reportedly earn millions through “Super Chat” during live broadcasts, he was not permitted by Google to use this feature, relying instead on voluntary subscriptions.
After inquiring with Google about this issue, he received a response stating that he did not comply with community guidelines, but specifics were not shared with him. Jeon criticized this lack of transparency and described the situation as an example of leftist cartel behavior, questioning whether there is press freedom in such conditions.
Previously, in January, the Democratic Party of Korea’s Public Communication Committee reported Jeon’s video, titled “Confusion in South Korea Caused by the Election Commission,” for violating YouTube’s community guidelines, which prohibit misleading or fraudulent content that poses significant risks, especially regarding elections. However, specific reasons for reporting or the prohibition of monetization on Jeon’s content have not been disclosed.
Meanwhile, Mega Public Worker Agency announced the termination of their contract with Jeon on the 14th following his retirement. In an interview with Hankyung.com, Jeon mentioned that political remarks led to significant pressure from students on his company, resulting in considerable dissatisfaction and discomfort for the company, prompting his decision to retire. Nonetheless, he denied any intentions to enter politics, refuting such speculations.