I watched Kwan's 1998 Nationals LP of Lyra Angelica and was really amazed at the number of spectators in the arena cheering for her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okPRcajUQrM
On the other hand, there were only handful of spectators (probably most of them might have been family members of stakers) outside the link when Yuna peformed at 2006 Nationals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFymHZ5sjmY
If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears does it still make a sound? It really doesn't matter the size of an audience at a competition. The skaters do their best and most top skaters practice like it is a competition. Champions are made on lonely practice ice through thousands of hours without cheering fans. Now there are infinite fans to make Kim very wealthy, but it won't change her skating skills. It is interesting to know that the phenomenon in Korea is very young. One can only imagine how many Korean girls want to be skaters. It sounds like Kim may compete another year at least and make many happy, I'm sure.
Michelle is the "idol" of many skaters because she is so consistent, that consistency is un rivaled. She won a great deal. I don't see much similarity in their styles but both were considered more athletic than artistic, at least when they began.
Michelle had all those spectators in 98 because she started as a senior skater at age 12. So she was so well known by 98. Michelle came on the scene the year Nancy Kerrigan was attacked at Nationals. Huge viewership resulted for figureskating at the Olympics. As the USA team alternate and all the fluff pieces Michelle became famous at 12. She was of course a little girl at the time and benefitted from a "perfect storm." She was talented. All the big names Kerrigan, Baiul, and Harding left (one way or the other) the sport after 1994. Kwan had a wide open door as well as millions of new fans watching all the TV shows. She had a great coach, great family and was very lucky regarding injuries over her career. Also, after she lost in Nagano by a small margin, she was very humble and said the right things, gaining favor with many. Then Tara left and she was the sole star of USFS again. We Americans watched her grow up from a talented very juniorish skater to a polished female champion. Believe it or not, there were some who wished her to retire, feeling she stayed two long.