From a converted storeroom on the roof of his mother’s Seoul apartment, Kim Min-kyo plays video games for up to 15 hours a day — and makes a fortune from the thousands of fans watching him. The cramped studio is an unlikely home for a budding millionaire, but the 24-year-old’s gaming prowess — mixed with quick-witted commentary and high-school-level humour — has seen his income climb to about $50,000 a month.
That puts him well into the top one percent of earners in South Korea, but has not affected his lifestyle. “I’m not really into cars or spending lots of money,” said Kim, who eats, sleeps, washes and works in the small space. “My mum manages all my income so I never have a lot of money on me,” he told AFP.
Live streamers, known as “Broadcast Jockeys” or BJs in South Korea, are hard-wired to the digital infrastructure of youth culture. They entertain for…
