A popular Muslim Korean YouTuber has sparked controversy in South Korean media and social networks after being accused of exploiting Muslim followers outside of Korea to collect donations for his personal accounts for a mosque-building project in South Korea. Daud Kim, a well-known Muslim content creator and influencer in his thirties, has over 5 million followers on YouTube and more than 3 million on Instagram. He enjoys wide popularity among non-Korean Muslims and receives millions of views after converting to Islam in 2019 and dedicating his content to Muslims in South Korea and his adventures as a Korean Muslim.
Kim recently stirred up controversy with official Islamic organizations in South Korea after claiming to contribute to the funding of a mosque project in Daegu City and collecting donations from his followers. The Daegu mosque project is one of the most contentious issues within the Muslim community in South Korea due to the ongoing conflict between officials and local residents regarding the mosque's construction, which has persisted for nearly four years, during which YouTuber Kim found suitable content for his channel.
Although the construction process is considered legitimate by the government, there is strong opposition from local residents who have expressed concerns. The Muslim Students Organization in Daegu (KNU) clarified in a YouTube video that the amount mentioned by YouTuber Kim had not been donated to the mosque and that Kim had only made a single transfer in 2022 for an amount not exceeding $2,000. This raised criticisms and doubts about Daud Kim's misleading practices in collecting funds and questioned the remaining amount.
The Korean Islamic Federation published an official statement on its Instagram page, explaining that they are the only officially registered Islamic organization with the South Korean government authorized to build mosques in the country and collect funding for them. Therefore, Daud Kim does not have the legal authority to build a mosque in South Korea. The federation also highlighted in red that YouTuber Kim's claims regarding the fundraising project and mosque construction in the country have no relation to the federation and are personal matters.
In South Korea, the law stipulates that fundraising must be officially registered with the government, and a formal permit must be obtained under the individual's name. When searching Daud Kim's name on the official government donation site, it appears that he is not listed on the main page. This has angered the Korean Muslim community, which sees his actions as deceptive and illegal.
It is noteworthy that the famous YouTuber Daud Kim has a controversial background as well. In 2020, he faced widespread backlash and severe criticism in South Korea after a TikTok video surfaced showing him attempting to assault a young woman. The incident sparked debates and speculations that he might not be a genuine Muslim and is exploiting the image as a content creator for fame. Following the video's widespread circulation, YouTuber Kim later issued an apology and admitted that the incident occurred and that he had reached a settlement with the victim.
