UNVERIFIED YOUTUBE VIDEOS REGARDING VIRUS

[Anchor Lead]

Video uploads claiming to have filmed the real situation in China are getting lots of views on YouTube. KBS examined the top 100 virus-related videos with the highest number of views and found that most of them had unverifiable sources and authenticity.

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This video was used to blame the virus on how some Chinese people consume bats. It turns out the footage was filmed not in China, but in an island nation of Palau in Oceania. A person suddenly faints. Health experts point out if this person is really infected with the virus, even walking on one's own would not have been possible in the first place. Videos claiming to show the real situation in Wuhan are getting more and more views. YouTubers posted such videos.

[Soundbite] (YOUTUBER WHO CREATED 'FILMED-IN-CHINA' VIDEOS(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "Wuhan virus video, real situation video, shot in China..."

Users access these clips by searching for keywords like "Wuhan videos," "local," or "Chinese reactions."

[Soundbite] (YOUTUBER WHO CREATED 'FILMED-IN-CHINA' VIDEOS(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "Those who come to see the videos are already aware that the Wuhan virus is serious. I believed it was right to show the video as is."

But these videos rarely disclosed the exact sources or verified authenticity. Some claim this is a footage of infected people just dropping dead on the streets. But there is no way of knowing when and where these videos were shot. There's a clip of a nurse in Wuhan claiming to expose the truth about the situation. But the identity of the uploader, whether this person is even an actual nurse from Wuhan is unverified.

[Soundbite] CHONG EUN-RYUNG(INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, SEOUL NAT'L UNIV.) : "The urge to consume information is very high, but verification always takes time. So people are tempted by other information that fills up the time gap."

Some conspiracy theorists believe this outbreak was organized by an international crime ring. Unverified videos are flooding cyberspace, exploiting people's desire to gain information quickly.