Chimchakman (41, real name Lee Byeong-geon, pen name Lee Mal-nyeon), a popular YouTuber and former webtoon artist, announced the monetization of his replay channel but changed back to a free release policy due to strong backlash from some netizens.
Chimchakman, who has 2.82 million subscribers, recently revealed plans to monetize the content replay channel 'Chimchakman Original Museum' on his fan site, Chimhaha.
According to the announcement, the full version replay channel 'Chimchakman Original Museum' will be available to paid subscribers for 3,000 won per month, with the content being made free a week later.
Chimchakman explained his decision to monetize, stating, "The absence of a dedicated replay channel leads to a mix of edited and original videos, and content is consumed before the edited videos are released. Given the nature of live broadcasts, there are many minor errors, making it burdensome to keep it open all the time."
He also mentioned, "To strengthen this channel, I thought I needed to adjust the tempo of the original live broadcast videos to fit this channel. (Currently, the original is released immediately after the live broadcast, so it is exposed 1-2 weeks in advance). However, the problem is that if I keep the live broadcast replays free for too long, it might lead to complaints from members."
He considered keeping some original videos private until the edited versions were released but ultimately decided to leave it to personal choice with partial monetization.
He added, "I expected some dissatisfaction because it would be less convenient than the previous method, but ultimately, it is something that needs to be organized."
After Chimchakman's announcement, some subscribers reacted strongly. He posted an additional message stating, "Not all videos will be monetized. I broadcast 3-4 times a week, so even if you don't subscribe to the membership, there will only be about 3-4 videos that are actually blocked, so it seems like there are too many people making a fuss." He actively clarified the criticism that he was monetizing to generate revenue.
Nevertheless, as the controversy did not subside, he ultimately decided to stop the replay content and implement a policy of free release one week after the live broadcast.
