Twitch Announced on December 5, 2023 (JST) that it will End Service in Korea (South Korea) on February 27, 2024.
Twitch has announced that the reason for the termination of operations in South Korea is that network fees in that country are 10 times higher than in other countries, making it impossible to operate any longer.
Twitch has lowered streaming quality in Korea from 1080p to 720p effective September 30, 2022.The reason given was “In response to rising operating costs in Korea,” but some cynics saw this as a snub to the so-called “Net Usage Fee Bill” in Korean politics.
Twitch’s withdrawal from Korea will inevitably have a significant impact on local VTubers, YouTubers, and Streamers.
As of December 6, 2012, Korean VTuber agencies and groups such as ISEGYE IDOL, StelLive, and V&U Entertainment are active, and events related to hololive Production have been successful, indicating that the popularity of VTubers is growing as in other regions.
It will be interesting to see how Twitch’s withdrawal from Korea will affect the local market.
Twitch
(P2y.EN)
