The O'Reilly Factor
Abusing Frenzy
“This is Bill O’Reilly of Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor. Tonight we have brought into the studio the man who has set America ablaze—the young emperor of the internet, Yoo Jae-won, Chairman of ID Group. Stay tuned after these messages; the interview begins immediately!”
Bill O’Reilly poured out words like a waterfall while staring straight into the camera. Yoo Jae-won watched him with a faintly intrigued expression. After all, Bill O’Reilly had been Fox News’ flagship commentator, a man who had anchored his own corner from the early nineties all the way to 2017. Though not a formal anchor, his popularity and interview skills were so exceptional that Fox had given him his own segment, The O’Reilly Factor. And today, Yoo Jae-won was the guest on that very show.
What defined O’Reilly was his relentless aggression. Fox News itself leaned right, yet its anchors and reporters generally observed certain boundaries. O’Reilly, true to his “commentator” title, observed none. The word “Factor” in his show’s name suited him not at all. Still, his flashy rhetoric and distinctive voice that pulled viewers in made him immensely popular among Fox’s audience.
“We go live in five seconds. Five, four, three…”
Yoo Jae-won, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to reality at the producer’s cue. The red light on the camera lit up, and the interview began.
Bill O’Reilly greeted him with a broad smile. “Good evening, Chairman Yoo. It’s been difficult to get you on air, so I’m delighted we’re finally face to face.”
The smile never left O’Reilly’s face; he seemed genuinely pleased. How could he not be? The biggest story gripping North America right now was neither North Korea’s nuclear program nor the Lillehammer Winter Olympics that had just begun—it was the hundred-million-dollar scandal. The dark side of the new medium called the internet had been laid bare, and even Yoo Jae-won’s girlfriend was entangled in it. For a man whose specialty was stirring up controversy, this was perfect material.
“Yes. I had been thinking I should do an interview with Fox News at some point. Today just happened to be the day.”
“Is that so? I understand other networks also requested interviews regarding this matter. Does that mean you had a special reason for choosing Fox?”
“That’s right. Not only ABC, NBC, TBS, and even CNN—practically every major broadcast network asked. Once this interview airs, I’m certain I’ll get a protest call from Mr. Turner for choosing Fox.”
At the mention of Ted Turner, Bill O’Reilly’s expression shifted slightly. The future king of controversy was still only a few years into his career—a relative newcomer compared to Ted Turner, already a giant in broadcasting and film.
“The reason I chose Fox is simple: Fox has been at the forefront of criticizing both me and the internet. If it were mere criticism, I might nod and listen, but the exaggerations and logical leaps were so severe that I decided I had to address them myself.”
When Yoo Jae-won decided to stir the pot, he was every bit O’Reilly’s equal. He intended to show the audience here and now that facts landed far harder than baseless provocation.
“Hahaha! I suppose our reporting can sound uncomfortable to those already uncomfortable with the situation. Well then, shall we begin in earnest?”
Though inwardly flustered, O’Reilly smoothly steered the conversation forward; he had been in the business long enough. Because no pre-approved list of questions had been exchanged—as was customary in Korean television interviews—Yoo Jae-won sharpened his focus.
“Let’s start with the hundred-million-dollar charity event for children with incurable diseases, the spark of this entire affair. Normally, donations go through foundations. There are plenty of specialized foundations supporting sick children. Yet you chose to route the donations through netizens on the internet community 2CH.com. And 2CH.com is a subsidiary site under Nextcomcast, which you own. Was this large-scale event simply a ploy to drive new memberships? Furthermore, while countless stories poured in, only about two hundred cases were actually funded. Families already burdened by incurable illness must now be even more distressed because of this incident.”
O’Reilly’s class was undeniable. He was essentially asking whether Yoo Jae-won had staged the hundred-million-dollar event to boost 2CH.com from the start, and whether that hidden motive had caused the current scandal—dragging even families with sick children into it.
“If I had wanted to promote 2CH.com, I would have offered new members extravagant welcome gifts from the beginning. The hundred-million-dollar donation was simply an extension of how I handled the prize money from the previous Security Challenge. I created this charity event because I wanted people to understand that the internet is not merely a cyber-space isolated from reality, but a new communication channel connected to it. That intention remained positive until this incident occurred.”
“So you’re admitting fault?”
“No. The security measure prepared for exactly this kind of situation is the ID Foundation’s verification process. To guard against fake reports, ID Foundation staff conducted on-site investigations, and donations were sent directly to hospitals rather than to the families themselves. The user VFC exploited the gaps far more intelligently. Failing to anticipate that gap was our mistake, but now that we know, we can fix it. What concerns me more is that this incident is being used to vilify the internet’s capabilities and potential.”
O’Reilly tried relentlessly to pin the blame on ID Group and the internet; Yoo Jae-won slipped free with ease.
“By ‘fix,’ do you mean legal measures?”
“Yes. I believe we need decisive action against abusing.”
“Abusing? I’ve been hosting this show for some time, yet this is the first time I’ve heard the term. What does it mean?”
“It’s a new coinage from the internet. The root is ‘abuse.’ It refers to the act of obtaining unfair benefits through manipulation—whether monetary gain or simply climbing rankings. Any illicit action taken for profit constitutes abusing.”
“So you’re saying people who engage in this abusing should face fines or imprisonment? Hmm. I was under the impression the internet’s lifeblood was freedom and anonymity. Apparently not.”
“At the very least, I strongly advocate that profiting from abusing through monetary gain must be met with legal punishment.”
“Hmm, I see. Wouldn’t it be simpler to handle important matters like the hundred-million-dollar donation through traditionally verified methods? The approach you propose might also infringe upon our constitutional value of freedom of expression. As someone from South Korea, you may be somewhat desensitized to oppression, but in America this is an extremely important issue.”
As expected. The polite Bill O’Reilly of the interview’s opening had finally shown his true colors.
“Freedom of expression is certainly important. On that point, I—who lived with far less of it—probably feel its weight more keenly than you, Mr. O’Reilly, who have always enjoyed it. But enjoying one’s own freedom must never come at the expense of others’. Abusing clearly violates that principle.”
O’Reilly’s attack found no purchase against Yoo Jae-won. A typical hot-blooded seventeen-year-old might have flared up at the regional jab, but Yoo Jae-won, who had accumulated decades of experience in online communities across two lifetimes, took no damage. Instead, his counter—that one’s freedom cannot infringe upon another’s—left O’Reilly momentarily speechless.
“Moreover, everyone is equal in an internet community. Even in this charity event for children with incurable diseases, both my girlfriend and I are merely single recommendations. Pressing the recommend button does not multiply my vote by hundreds. One cannot fault asking acquaintances for recommendations either; it is a perfectly permissible rule that anyone can follow. But receiving money to manipulate the system is an entirely different matter.”
After finishing, Yoo Jae-won glanced at the expressions of O’Reilly and the crew beyond the set. A few nodded, but the majority—including O’Reilly—remained unimpressed. Deciding it was time to drop the real bomb, Yoo Jae-won spoke again.
“Since you still seem unable to grasp my concern, allow me to offer a more accessible example.”
“Ah, please do.”
“First, what do you think of comments—those short remarks people leave? Given your prominence, you must have seen comments on articles mentioning you.”
“Well, I’ve never given it much thought. Besides, most comments on my articles are insults. As you know, I’m the type who collects a lot of them.”
“As expected. You wouldn’t attach much significance to them, would you? Then what would be a reasonable daily wage for someone whose job is to post predetermined comments?”
“A job posting a set number of comments? Hmm. Sitting at a desk—it must be quite easy. I doubt anyone would pay more than thirty dollars a day for that.”
“Exactly. You’d consider it cheap, wouldn’t you? Yet when such comments accumulate, they can sway public opinion. In other words, they can manipulate it. And when public opinion is manipulated, major consequences follow. That means internet opinion can be manipulated at very low cost. Take a look at this.”
Yoo Jae-won opened his Shell Book and presented concrete examples Jake’s team had uncovered. New sites were springing up rapidly across the internet, drawing crowds. Some were platforms where people tried new products and posted reviews. Sites like Thomas Hardware specialized in reviewing computer components, while others offered evaluations of famous restaurants.
“What if the glowing reviews on these sites were actually paid advertisements written by manufacturers? What if a negative review of a restaurant was actually commissioned by a competing establishment?”
Although the internet had only recently emerged and WWW-based websites were just a few years old, numerous controversies and problems were already surfacing. Even O’Reilly, usually quick to deflect, could not easily dismiss the point.
“If it were a trivial matter in the personal sphere, one might ignore it. But the scale of profit obtainable through abusing grows exponentially in fields where public evaluation matters. And we witness such incidents every few years.”
He meant elections—the flower of democracy.
“What would happen if large-scale comment workers were mobilized during an election to manipulate public opinion? And at very low cost?”
At Yoo Jae-won’s question, O’Reilly could only gasp. He had never imagined the issue extending that far. For Yoo Jae-won, however, it was no mere speculation—he had lived through it in his previous life. His expression was resolute.
O’Reilly, on the other hand, was determined to prevent this line of reasoning. He wanted the internet treated merely as a playground for tech enthusiasts and gamers, and the current scandal pinned solely on Yoo Jae-won.
“How can a few comments possibly sway public opinion? Besides, the number of users isn’t even that large.”
“I’m sitting here because of VoteForChild, aren’t I?”
The dismissive reply made O’Reilly realize his mistake.
“The number of internet users is exploding every month. Nextcomcast has already completed the transcontinental information highway and is now supplying high-speed ADSL broadband starting with cities near it. While still focused on major cities, by 1996 even the most remote towns in America will have access to high-speed internet. At that point, tens of millions of users will be online in no time.”
Even while in enemy territory, Yoo Jae-won never missed an opportunity to promote his company.
“Elections are frequently decided by narrow margins. And few things matter as much as the direction of public opinion. I can state with certainty that the largest market for profiting through abusing will be the electoral arena.”
“Good heavens.”
Even O’Reilly had to concede at Yoo Jae-won’s final thrust. A man who had cornered seasoned politicians found himself unable to counter Yoo Jae-won, whose expertise, foresight, and solid evidence left no room for rebuttal.
“It is difficult to stop something after it happens, but easy to prevent if prepared in advance. Punish those who profit from abusing. Ensure that any advertisement, regardless of form, is clearly recognizable to consumers as advertising. That alone would suffice.”
“Would that really be enough? Even with penalties, wouldn’t enforcement remain difficult?”
Now O’Reilly was seeking advice from Yoo Jae-won. After all, the Republican politicians he supported were largely ignorant about the internet. If Yoo Jae-won’s prediction proved true—that the internet could influence elections—it would be catastrophically disadvantageous for Republican candidates. The urgency showed on his face.
“Of course. But there are ways.”
The method for catching comment workers was simple. VFC’s case made it obvious. To manufacture favorable opinion, they posted nearly identical content in large volumes and coordinated comments as well. Server logs would naturally detect such patterns—usage behavior clearly distinct from ordinary users. Once flagged, authorities could be notified for investigation. The same applied to macros or specialized programs. Ultimately, their posts had to reach real users, so no matter how covert the operation, traces remained.
Until now, the lack of legal grounds had kept VFC’s activities in civil court. With criminal statutes in place, immediate criminal complaints would become possible. Police or prosecutors could then obtain warrants and conduct investigations, catching everyone involved.
“Even if detection proves challenging, there is an extraordinary measure: offer substantial rewards for tips. If a comment operation costs a hundred thousand dollars, offer a million-dollar reward.”
In his previous life, the most effective way to expose covert comment operations had been rewards. People working for money had no convictions. When far greater compensation and guaranteed safety were offered, many would readily turn on their employers.
“If clear large-scale opinion manipulation is detected online during election season, I will immediately post an extraordinary reward. You know I follow through when I say I will.”
At Yoo Jae-won’s words, O’Reilly finally nodded, bringing the turbulent interview to a close.
The reaction was swift. The program aired simultaneously across North America during prime time. Moreover, Yoo Jae-won appearing on Fox—which had always been critical of ID Group—drew massive viewership. As a result, the narrative that had been closing in on him shifted dramatically. Reports framing the internet’s side effects and the boy billionaire’s hundred-million-dollar stunt as having victimized children with incurable diseases sharply declined. Instead, discussion of the abusing problem Yoo Jae-won had highlighted began in earnest.
Naturally, the issue also sent shockwaves through American politics, which had previously shown little interest. Internet opinion manipulation was a matter of life and death for politicians facing upcoming elections.
—Hahaha! When I heard you were going on Fox, I was furious at first. What business did you have appearing on a network filled with nothing but nonsense? But seeing how thoroughly you turned the tables was deeply satisfying. Now then—when are you coming on my network? You can’t move those stubborn congressmen with just one or two broadcasts. You have to keep hammering until it sticks!
It was a call from Ted Turner. Though not placed immediately after the broadcast, it came the following evening. He explained he had been busy and watched a recording rather than the live show.
“Of course. My next interview will naturally be with TBS.”
Yoo Jae-won had never expected a single appearance on Fox to completely flip the narrative. His goal was a full circuit of network interviews, building favorable public opinion—as he had done in Korea—to pressure the legislature into action.
The process toward that goal was progressing steadily. After the filtering system activated, ID Group’s internet communities underwent a round of purification, with all public sentiment now focused on criticizing members of Congress. While some users remained dissatisfied with the filtering itself, the majority welcomed it. Combined with Yoo Jae-won’s network interview tour, offline opinion also solidified, leaving even Washington politicians unable to ignore the shifting times.
The abusing crisis, ignited by the hundred-million-dollar charity event for children with incurable diseases, had entered a new phase.