YouTube, Political Disinformation, and User Engagement: Channel and Headline Effects in South Korea’s Martial Law Case

This study examines the determinants of user engagement with political content on YouTube, focusing on the evolution of disinformation after rumors are checked and verified. Focusing on the case of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law in December 2024, we investigate the ways in which channel characteristics (type, size, and political orientation), headline attributes (sentiment and framing), and temporal context shape user responses. The dataset includes videos uploaded between March 2024 and April 2025, with engagement measured via views, likes, and comments. Analyses show that larger channels generate more engagement, while personal channels perform worse than mainstream media. Engagement is amplified when with political orientation of those engaging aligns with headline sentiment or framing, while mismatched combinations provoke contentious interactions. Progressive channels and negatively framed headlines elicit particularly strong responses. The findings show how channel attributes and framing reinforce polarized diffusion patterns in algorithm-driven environments. This study advances disinformation research by emphasizing post-verification dynamics, offering insight for platform governance, mitigation strategies, and sustaining democratic discourse online.