Park Wi and Song Ji-eun, the duo behind the YouTube channel ‘Wiracle,’ encountered criticism after launching a paid subscription model. In reaction, Park Wi expressed regret, saying, “I feel devastated knowing that this choice might have caused someone pain.”
On the 16th, a video titled ‘Join the Wiracle Membership!’ was posted on the channel. In the video, Park revealed the introduction of a membership program that provides exclusive content for 2,990 South Korean won.
Park said, “We have found the bravery to extend this membership to strengthen our bond with subscribers. I think it will establish more direct lines of communication.” Song Ji-eun added, “I felt that sharing more personal stories with our audience could be a significant move.”
Membership perks feature exclusive videos, content available only to members, complete recordings of live streams, custom emojis, and badges that depend on how long someone subscribes. On the topic of exclusive videos, Song mentioned, “We will present our unfiltered and truthful selves beyond what is shown in vlogs.” Park highlighted, “These will be completely new videos made exclusively for our members.”
Nevertheless, responses were varied. Reviewers contended that generating revenue goes against the channel’s initial goal of promoting messages such as “Miracle for Everyone” and enhancing understanding of disabilities.
A viewer commented, “I have always experienced real warmth from this channel, which made me care a lot. Although I understand the membership announcement, I’m a bit disappointed that the original atmosphere might change.”
In reply, Park stated, “My team and I aim to provide content that reflects Wiracle’s principles. The choice to implement a membership model came after extensive discussions to improve the quality of our content. I apologize if this caused any distress.”
Another viewer stated, “Wiracle seemed like a disability awareness initiative that connected more profoundly than any other platform for non-disabled viewers. I’m disappointed to see it losing that core.” Park responded, “Thank you for your sincere worries. We will consider your input and work to enhance our efforts.”
Park, who became paralyzed following a spinal injury in 2014, established Wiracle Factory in 2019 and has managed the ‘Wiracle’ channel. He has been acknowledged for his efforts in promoting disability awareness and human rights, earning the Grand Prize in the Disability Human Rights category at the 2022 Seoul City Welfare Awards. Park married Song Ji-eun, a former member of the girl group Secret, in 2024. The channel now boasts 1,010,000 subscribers.
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