A year after streamer crackdown, Bucheon’s chaos eased but not gone

BUCHEON, Gyeonggi Province — Park Hye-ran, 47, a mother of a 6-year-old son, often finds it unsettling to walk around her neighborhood in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, a city known for its many online streaming creators airing outlandish broadcasts.

“I’m worried about being filmed, and the broadcasting makes me uncomfortable. As early as the afternoon, many people are streaming around the food alley near Bucheon Station,” Park said, adding that it can’t be good for children to see.

Last year, Bucheon made headlines for streamers who vied for viewer donations with attention-grabbing stunts such as dancing shirtless, singing loudly in public and mocking police officers called to the scene. Things turned violent when a YouTuber in her 30s was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after stabbing a man in his 30s with a weapon during his livestream.

In response, the city announced a crackdown on streamers in September 2025, citing broadcasts that seriously damaged its brand image and harmed merchants and residents. It applied crime prevention strategies using environmental design techniques in the parks and streets where streamers often gathered, removing seating to keep them from lingering and stepping up patrols.

Last month, the city said disruptive streaming near Bucheon Station has declined. Related complaints filed through the government’s online petition portal fell 71.4 percent, from 77 in the second half of last year to 22 in the first half of this year.

On Wednesday, streamers were still broadcasting around Bucheon Station from early morning, alone or in groups of two or three. Residents said things have calmed down considerably since last year’s peak, though some streamers still frequent the area.

“The number dropped a lot when the city ran a campaign and the media covered it heavily last year. At its worst, it was definitely noisy, with people drinking and broadcasting here. The shouting was unpleasant, too,” said Kim Myung-seop, 39, who has run a butcher shop near the station for 10 years.

Kim added that there used to be a few such streamers, but the problem worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic ended.

Park Hyo-jong, 63, who has run a fruit stand near the station for two years, said streamers thinned out after senior volunteers began patrolling the area to drive out malicious YouTubers.

“At the height of it, those guys were lawless. Many weren’t sober and cursed as they streamed,” Park said. “No matter how good the money is, you shouldn’t stream like that.”

Yoon, 36, a streamer who was broadcasting near Bucheon Station and asked to be identified only by his surname, said streamers gather in the area for exposure.

“I stream in Bucheon because there are many other streamers here, so we can create synergy. The promotional effect is huge,” Yoon said. “At first nobody watches your streams, but if you show up on other streamers’ cameras, that promotes you. That’s why more of us gather to help make ourselves known.”

Yoon, who lives in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, said he rents a room in Bucheon for two to three months at a time because broadcasting there gets him so much exposure.

With streamers still drawn to the area, many residents hope the city will maintain its policy to bring their numbers down even further.

Ko, in her 60s, who has cleaned Bucheon Station for 11 years, said the streamers’ broadcasts make her anxious.

“I wouldn’t mind if they just streamed quietly and left. But they go to places like the plaza and run wild in strange outfits, and that’s what we didn’t like,” Ko said. “When people walk around carrying things and making loud noises, it’s intimidating, and I worry they might do harm.”