In an era where even a one-second ad feels like a waste of time, K-stars who refuse to subscribe to YouTube Premium — meaning they don’t skip ads — are drawing massive attention. What’s fueling the buzz even more is that these are top stars reportedly earning millions.
First up is IVE’s Jang Won-young. In the past, a Wonder K Original YouTube fancam titled 'IVE EP.01_It’s Not Nerves, It’s Butterflies!' revealed she wasn’t subscribed to YouTube Premium, sparking chatter online.
In the clip, IVE members were waiting for their title track 'HEYA' music video to drop on YouTube. When the upload went live and an ad played, Jang Won-young caught attention by saying, "Ads... we have to watch the ad first." Unlike the other members — who said they were YouTube Premium subscribers — Jang wasn’t, which quickly became a hot topic among fans.
Adding to the surprise, Jang Won-young has been enjoying global success — she reportedly purchased a luxury villa in Hannam-dong’s UN Village, one of Seoul’s wealthiest neighborhoods, for ₩13.7 billion in cash — making her decision not to pay for YouTube Premium even more unexpected for some fans.
Actor Park Bo-gum — who has built a worldwide fandom through buzzy projects like Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines, and tvN’s Reply 1988 — is also reportedly not a Premium subscriber, shocking fans yet again.
Previously, on the YouTube show Salon Drip 2, host Jang Do-yeon said, "There’s talk that you watch every ad because you don’t have YouTube Premium," to which Park replied, "Sometimes the ads are really pretty. I even discover music through them... in a way, it feels like a good thing to watch ads."
As globally beloved K-stars flaunt their thrifty side by skipping Premium payments, praise is pouring in from all corners.