Queer Korean YouTubers
- lgbtnewskorea
- Apr 30
- 4 min read
Today, we would like to introduce some popular Korean queer YouTubers who provide subtitles in English and other languages.
English Translation: 피웊
Translation review: Juyeon
Writer of the original text: 권태
Review and amendments to the original text: Miguel
Web & SNS Posting: Miguel
News Card Design: 가리
There are currently many queer YouTubers active in Korea. Some of them share their daily lives with their partners, others mainly film vlogs of their personal routines, and some listen to viewers’ concerns that are hard to talk about elsewhere and have discussions together. In addition, they expand Korea’s queer content by creating various buzzwords, and in a Korean society rife with LGBTQ-phobia, they make queer existence visible and actively raise their voices on social issues. Today, we would like to introduce some popular Korean queer YouTubers who provide subtitles in English and other languages.
Ibanjiha
The name Ibanjiha is a compound of the words “Iban” and “Banjiha.” “Iban” was once a term used in Korea to refer to queers (in contrast to the word “Ilban,” meaning “ordinary”), and “Banjiha” refers to semi-basement apartments, expressing the class position of many queers and artists, as well as those who are both. It also refers to the actual space where Ibanjiha lives and works. Although Ibanjiha is an active visual artist, their fans—called Gamtae—also love their unique path as a writer and singer-songwriter. Ibanjiha’s work is based on patriarchy, queerness, and feminism, and they use “survivor humor” to subvert the violence of a patriarchal and heteronormative world by positioning themselves in the role of the father.
Read LGBT News Korea’s article on “Iban” and other queer slang in Korea: Slangs in Korean LGBTQ+ Communities
Recently, as protests calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol have been actively taking place across Korea, queer presence has become more visible in public squares, with Ibanjiha often performing or having their songs played. On their YouTube channel, you can find queer songs such as Our Family LGBT, which reveals that every member of a supposedly “normal family” is queer; A Little Hetero at the Lesbian Bar, written from the perspective of a heterosexual woman visiting a lesbian bar; and Filial Queer Daughter, which tells the story of a woman who, following her mother’s instructions and Korea’s strict sexual culture that prohibits sex with men, has a relationship with a woman instead.
Ibanjiha, who used to hold queer-themed talks with fans on their channel, recently started a new program called Ibanjiha’s Scratch Paper, where they interview figures who have come out across Korean society. The show features various well-known Korean queers like Kim Kyujin—an “LGBT married woman with Korean nationality” and mother of a daughter named Rani—as well as queer YouTuber Mangwondae TV and Choi Hyunsook, an oral history writer and the first National Assembly candidate to come out as a lesbian.
Also read LGBT News Korea’s article on Kim Kyujin: Marriage, Family, Community
SOO NOT SUE
Soo Not Sue, who used to upload vlogs of daily life as a queer person, now runs the YouTube channel Soo Not Sue Studio, posting GL and queer content. Their web dramas, which portray the nuanced and realistic stories of diverse characters, have received praise from many who longed for more GL content in Korea. Even the thumbnails alone heightened expectations for Soo Not Sue’s web dramas, which can be enjoyed with various subtitles—so we hope to see much interest from queer people around the world.
Danana
Danana is a lesbian couple YouTube channel. Their content, which clearly reflects their deep love despite a long relationship, brings joy to viewers. Even though they are a lesbian couple channel in Korea, their subscriber count of 904,000 indicates just how charming this couple is.
Lesjiju
Lesjiju is a queer YouTuber who uses humor based on stereotypes about lesbians. She calls everyone “Lady” (e.g., Hetero Woman Lady, Man Lady) and has popularized a unique speech style where she ends every sentence with “-les.” By doing so, she turns potentially hurtful stereotypes into laughter, protecting herself and others from emotional harm. If you have a Korean lesbian friend who ends every sentence with “-les” and does the “Lesbian V” hand gesture, they are likely influenced by Lesjiju.
DDOL DDOL (Kim Ddol Ddol)
DDOL DDOL is a gay YouTuber in Korea who shares joyful moments with his gay friends. He also appears on Jewel Box, a show hosted by gay celebrity Hong Seok-cheon—who is often seen as the godmother of Korean queers—where they explore attractive male celebrities from a gay perspective. He is also active on popular Korean programs like Radio Star, increasing the visibility of LGBTQ people to the Korean public.
Pung ja
Pungja is a transgender YouTuber known for her witty commentary. She later entered the entertainment industry and won the Rookie Female Entertainer Award at a broadcasting award show, which moved many Korean queers. Recently, Pungja has gained even more recognition through Repeat Restaurant, a series where she visits delicious restaurants across Korea.
There are many more queer YouTubers active in Korea, and they are not hard to find on YouTube. We hope you’ll take an interest in Korea’s queer YouTubers and the queer culture they are helping to expand.
English Translation: 피웊
Translation review: Juyeon
Writer of the original text: 권태
Review and amendments to the original text: Miguel
Web & SNS Posting: Miguel
News Card Design: 가리
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