CH Seoul is a growing YouTube channel built for people who love Korean culture—but want to understand what’s happening underneath the surface. While K-dramas, K-pop, and global hits like Squid Game have brought Korea into the spotlight, there’s still a gap: not enough content explains the deeper context behind the stories, trends, and headlines.
In this interview, we spoke with Lee Chang-hoon (이창훈)—a Seoul-born journalist and the founder behind the video studio that produces CH Seoul. With a background in business administration and experience reporting for an economic newspaper in Korea, Chang-hoon is creating what he calls “smart and pop” video essays: content that’s entertaining, accessible, and grounded in analysis.
His mission is simple but ambitious. He aims to unlock Korea’s “high-density insights” for global audiences—the kind that local viewers already discuss, but international audiences rarely get in English.
How CH Seoul Is Created and the Motivation Behind It
Chang-hoon describes CH Seoul as a response to an imbalance. Korea is often consumed globally through entertainment. However, entertainment doesn’t appear “out of thin air.” It comes from a specific mix of social pressures, economic realities, and cultural dynamics.
As a journalist, Chang-hoon was trained to look at society through structure and data—not just trends. Over time, he realized the world was fascinated by Korean stories, but lacked the translation layer to understand why those stories exist.
That’s where CH Seoul comes in. It’s not just storytelling, but signal decoding, connecting the dots between Korean society and the global future.
“Seoul Isn’t Just a City—It’s a Future Worth Decoding”
A key turning point for Chang-hoon was watching global audiences connect deeply with Korean content. He argues that Korea’s rapid transformation is part of why it resonates:
- Korea compressed decades of modernization into a short period.
- The side effects of that acceleration show up early: low birth rates, inequality, intense competition, and social strain.
His take is that global audiences aren’t only watching “Korea.” They’re watching a preview of what other societies may face soon. And CH Seoul aims to make those patterns legible.
What Makes CH Seoul Different from Traditional Media and Typical YouTube Commentary
Chang-hoon doesn’t claim CH Seoul is “different” just to stand out. Instead, he points to a practical problem on both sides. In fact, traditional media can be trapped in rigid formats that dilute insights. Meanwhile, Korean YouTubers often deliver dense, high-quality analysis—but it stays inside Korea due to the language barrier.
CH Seoul sits in between. It takes the high-density insight style and makes it accessible in English, for international viewers who want more than surface-level Korea content.
Beyond K-Pop and K-Drama: Why Context Matters
One of Chang-hoon’s strongest points is that global audiences often get Korea through a narrow lens—mostly entertainment. CH Seoul tries to widen that lens by introducing business dynamics, technology shifts, social structures, policy-driven market changes, and cultural psychology.
He also wants to spotlight Korea’s “intellectual capital”—scholars and opinion leaders who may be influential locally, but remain largely unknown globally.
As he puts it, if K-pop moves hearts, CH Seoul should stimulate brains.
The Coupang Case: When Platforms Become “Legal Ghosts”
The interview dives into one of CH Seoul’s key topics: THE Coupang issue.
Chang-hoon calls Coupang a kind of “legal ghost”—economically essential but difficult to hold accountable. He explains that this isn’t a one-time controversy but a long-observed pattern in Korea: serious issues (including workplace tragedies and public controversies) in which leadership avoids direct accountability.
What changed recently, he says, is scale: a major personal data leak reportedly affecting tens of millions shifted the issue from “workers” to “the public.”
From Citizens to Subscribers: The Algorithm vs the Constitution
One of the most striking ideas from the interview is Chang-hoon’s warning about a subtle shift: people becoming subscribers managed by algorithms, rather than citizens protected by law.
He contrasts two systems. In a democracy, laws are shaped (in theory) by citizens through representation. Meanwhile, on platforms, rules are shaped by corporate boards to maximize profit.
A citizen has constitutional protections. A subscriber has a user agreement—one that can change without meaningful consent. And when a platform operates under foreign legal frameworks, local consumers may struggle to push back.
Is Coupang a Korea-Only Problem—or a Global Preview?
Chang-hoon points out a uniquely Korean factor: government regulation once restricted large offline retailers to protect small businesses. That created a “void” that digital platforms filled—accelerating Coupang’s growth.
He acknowledges Coupang’s innovation, especially in logistics, but stresses that other countries should learn selectively: Take the technology, not the attitude.
In his view, the danger is exporting a “Korea-proven success formula” without also learning from the social conflicts and loopholes that came with it.
AI in Korean Film: Innovation or Economic Necessity?
Another major section of the interview explores how generative AI is entering Korean production—sometimes in ways that feel radical, like a feature with “no cameras.”
Chang-hoon argues AI use often isn’t driven by artistic idealism. It’s driven by economics.
He links the current production crisis to industry shifts after Netflix entered Korea:
- Netflix paid higher fees for stars.
- Domestic studios competed by inflating rates.
- Crew budgets shrank as costs rose.
- Risk tolerance dropped.
- Studios relied on safe formulas rather than experimentation.
In that environment, AI becomes a survival strategy—especially for younger creators locked out of traditional opportunities.
When “No Camera” Becomes Normal: Policy, Budgets, and Signals
Chang-hoon says AI production accelerated after Korea’s 2025 government transition, with aggressive investment in AI to support growth—especially through K-content.
He also points to earlier signals: AI short film contests rose in 2024, prize money increased, and creators scaled from short films to feature-length productions.
With the traditional film market frozen, AI becomes a low-cost entry point for young directors to prove themselves.
Will AI Kill Jobs—or Create a New Market?
The interview ends on a nuanced note: yes, AI threatens some roles—but the bigger issue may be whether the industry collapses without new markets.
Chang-hoon argues the priority isn’t generational conflict. It’s market creation.
If younger creators pioneer new territory with AI, veteran technicians may migrate to support that new ecosystem—reducing pressure on the traditional market and leaving a sustainable path for those who don’t transition.
What It Means When Public Broadcasters Use AI for Historical Epics
Chang-hoon sees one development as especially telling: when conservative, older-audience formats—like public broadcaster historical dramas—begin using AI.
To him, that signals mainstream acceptance. Once even the most traditional segment adopts the tool, AI skills stop being optional and become a career necessity for creators entering the industry.
What’s Next for CH Seoul in the Next Five Years
Today, CH Seoul is rooted in Seoul because Chang-hoon believes he can deliver the deepest resolution from lived experience. But in the long term, he wants to export the method: apply the “smart and pop” framework to other dynamic cities across Asia—potentially including Singapore, Taipei, and beyond.
He also believes Indonesia could rise as the next major global influence. And that CH Seoul could evolve into a broader network of insights, not limited to one country.
Final Message: A Global Channel Built to Translate Korea
Chang-hoon’s closing message is clear: CH Seoul is currently English-first, but he hopes to reach wider audiences through collaboration—especially with international students in Korea who bring language ability and cultural nuance.
For viewers who love Korean culture and want to understand what happens behind the entertainment, CH Seoul is positioning itself as a channel that doesn’t just react—it analyzes.
Want more Korea beyond K-pop and K-drama? CH Seoul wants to show you the structure beneath the story.
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