Travel YouTuber Gilbadak, rumoured missing after India trip, says he is alive in Australia

Travel YouTuber Gilbadak (길바닥) said in a live broadcast on 22 October that he is in Australia and alive, responding to rumours of disappearance, kidnapping and confinement. According to Korea Economic Daily, Chosun Ilbo, Newsis and Seoul Shinmun, he said he was in Australia and alive. Chosun Ilbo, which carried an OSEN report, said the broadcast was titled "Survival Report", and Maeil Business said the same title was used. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

Gilbadak makes backpacking content on a small budget. The rumours began when he abruptly stopped uploading around a year ago, after his last video from an India trip. About three months ago, a post appeared saying he had finished the trip well and that nothing had happened in India. Korea Economic Daily and Seoul Shinmun reported that it was not in his usual writing style, which deepened suspicion. Chosun Ilbo reported that the difference in style fed claims of ghostwriting and hacking, as well as rumours about his safety. Seoul Shinmun said the post also mentioned burnout. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]

On 21 October the crew of SBS's Gunggeumhan Iyagi Y (궁금한 이야기 Y) said it was receiving tips related to him. Korea Economic Daily, Chosun Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun reported that some people worried he had been caught up in crime in India. Maeil Business said the programme conveyed that it was waiting to hear from him. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 ]

In the broadcast, he said he had written the community post because rumours had appeared in the comments after he stopped uploading, and that the matter grew. He said he wrote it casually and in a hurry. He said acquaintances had sent him the SBS item and that he wondered whether it should grow this large. He said he was not being held hostage and was fine on his own, and that the kidnapping claims made no sense. He answered "no" to a comment asking whether he is AI, and said no one was locking him up. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]

On the long gap in uploads, he said he had been in Australia a little over a year, that life there was hectic and that he mostly worked. Korea Economic Daily and Seoul Shinmun quoted him saying his laptop was flooded during travel and has worked poorly since, so he could not edit. Newsis quoted him as saying only that the laptop had a problem. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]

Maeil Business reported that he said he is in Perth and was broadcasting from outside his home. It said he told viewers that acquaintances knew he was fine and that he went live after receiving many messages that day. It also reported that he had emailed SBS and others that morning and hoped the video would end the controversy. Korea Economic Daily and Seoul Shinmun reported that viewers welcomed him with light-hearted comments. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]