Home > National > Social Affairs

Chinese authorities allegedly question YouTuber over Taegeukgi at Mount Paektu

Published: 28 Nov. 2025, 21:07 Updated: 28 Nov. 2025, 21:09

A Korean YouTuber waves a Taegeukgi at Heaven Lake on Mount Paektu. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A Korean YouTuber who was questioned by Chinese public security officers earlier this year after waving the Korean national flag at Heaven Lake on Mount Paektu said he was denied entry to China.

The YouTuber uploaded a video titled “I was ultimately refused entry to China” on his YouTube channel on Wednesday. He said he “arrived at a Chinese airport but was turned away at immigration and sent straight back,” adding that he “was not given any explanation for the refusal.”

The YouTuber was detained in July after waving a Taegeukgi and singing the national anthem at Heaven Lake, which sits on the border between North Korea and China.

He said he was held for about six hours and questioned by Chinese public security officers, who went through his belongings and checked the photo album on his phone. The officers also confiscated his flag and did not return it, he said.

The YouTuber added that authorities told him carrying the Taegeukgi in the border area could “cause conflict,” and he had been required to write a statement promising not to repeat the act.

During this latest trip, he said he was taken from the immigration counter to a separate interview room and had his belongings inspected. His travel companions were also questioned.

This file photo, taken June 11, 2024, shows Mount Paektu on the North Korean-Chinese border. [YONHAP]

“They checked everything — even KakaoTalk and YouTube,” he said, claiming the screening was “much stricter than last time.” According to him, officers demanded the password to his KakaoTalk account and reviewed the contents of his YouTube page.

The YouTuber said he attempted to delete a video of himself waving the Taegeukgi at Mount Paektu by sneaking into a restroom and using a second phone, but officers prevented him from locking the door. “I had to keep the door half open and ask my manager to take the video down,” he said.

However, he said the officers were already aware of the video. “They showed it to me and asked, ‘Is this you?’ I said yes. It gave me chills,” he recalled.

The YouTuber said he spent “1.4 million won [$950] to get there and more than 1 million won to get back, losing about 2.5 million won in total,” and complained that he had “suffered a great deal after spending more than eight hours on flights.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]