'Giving Up on Life in America'—Oliver Grant Denies Claims of 'Freeloading' on South Korean Healthcare: 'I Never Mentioned That'

[The Financial News] YouTuber Oliver Grant, who has 2.26 million subscribers, has denied recent reports claiming he decided to give up life in the United States of America (USA) and move to the Republic of Korea (ROK).

On the 28th, Oliver Grant addressed the issue on his YouTube channel, stating, "Major media outlets have published articles saying we decided to move to the ROK," and clarified, "My wife and I only shared our family's situation in Texas and discussed our concerns. We never made any concrete decisions about moving, nor did we mention the ROK specifically."
He added, "Because of these inaccurate articles, many people have misunderstood and left negative comments, as if our family intends to freeload on the South Korean healthcare system. We're already going through a very difficult time, so these harsh comments hurt even more. I ask for corrections to be made."
On the 26th, Oliver Grant uploaded a video titled, 'Eight Years as an Immigrant in America with My Korean Wife... Now I'm Really Giving Up,' where he discussed the hardships of living in the USA. As an American, he lived in the ROK for eight years starting at age 22, then returned to Texas around June 2018.
In the video, Oliver Grant addressed the issue of taxes in the USA, saying, "Starting next year, I have to pay $8,000 (about 11.56 million KRW) in property taxes. Home insurance will cost $4,402 (about 6.37 million KRW). Just owning a house means paying about 18 million KRW a year." He continued, "The problem is, these costs are expected to rise by 15% every year going forward."
He also pointed out the natural disasters and lack of infrastructure in Texas. Oliver Grant explained, "In Texas, summer temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius. Just two weeks before my child was born, there was a major power outage in Texas that brought everything to a halt. Around 300 people died at that time," adding, "I don't think I can endure another blackout during a 40-degree heatwave next summer."

Public education was also a factor in considering leaving the USA. Oliver Grant's wife explained, "Due to significant budget cuts, even large school districts in major cities have closed many schools. Many teachers have quit or been laid off, and unqualified individuals are filling in. Some schools now only operate four days a week. The reason is that with reduced budgets, they can't pay teachers enough, so they created extra days off to lower salaries."
The healthcare system was also a mess. The family's health insurance premium will rise to $2,600 (about 3.76 million KRW) per month next year. Oliver Grant's wife shared that when her father-in-law was diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer, he did not receive adequate medical care, saying, "Even though we pay about 4 million KRW a month for insurance, I don't understand why we are treated like this. Here, if you get sick, it's as if you're disposable."
Finally, Oliver Grant said, "This is something we've been struggling with for two years. Inflation, and especially hospital issues, have made up my mind. I think it's time to end this immigrant life," adding, "I want to spend more time with my father, and if we leave, I'm stressed and worried about where to go. It's extremely difficult, but a decision must be made."

Subsequently, on online communities and elsewhere, speculative posts emerged suggesting that Oliver Grant and his wife would return to the ROK, along with malicious comments accusing them of trying to freeload on the South Korean healthcare system. As reports spread that 'Oliver Grant is returning to Korea,' public criticism intensified. In response, Oliver Grant personally clarified, "We have not decided to move to the ROK."
Meanwhile, Oliver Grant married his Korean wife in 2016 and they currently have two daughters. On his YouTube channel, he shares content about learning English, American culture, and daily life with his family.
gaa1003@fnnews.com An Ga-eul Reporter