Kim Sun-tae, known as 'Chungju Man,' who has been leading the official YouTube channel of Chungju City, 'ChungTV,' submitted his resignation on the 12th, drawing attention to the internal atmosphere during his promotion and the subsequent subscriber drop.
On the anonymous workplace community 'Blind,' a post titled "Chungju Man was a cancerous presence in the public office" appeared on the 13th. The author, identifying as a public servant, claimed, "He received a 6th-grade team leader position, which others take 20 years to achieve, with a mere 'click,' and didn't rotate duties due to his YouTube promotional activities, which many internally disliked."
The post continued, "He admitted that many disliked him, and now that he's gone, the public office will be more harmonious and peaceful. Public offices never tolerate those who outshine or stand out."
According to Chungju City on the 13th, Kim submitted his resignation to the HR department on the 12th and has taken an extended leave.
Kim addressed his departure on Chungju City's YouTube channel, stating, "After 10 years in public service and 7 years as Chungju Man, I am here to say goodbye. The 7 years with you were the happiest of my life."
Meanwhile, an online community post titled "Internal Atmosphere During Chungju Man's Promotion" has garnered over 300,000 views, sparking significant interest.
The post revisited Kim's appearance on the YouTube channel 'Workman,' where he discussed the internal reaction to his promotion to the 6th grade. When asked by Jang Sung-kyu about colleagues' reactions, Kim replied, "Internal support dropped significantly. I even witnessed complaints." Some colleagues reportedly reacted with, "I should have done YouTube too."
The comments section is abuzz with discussions on public servant organizational culture. One netizen highlighted characteristics of local public servant society, such as resistance to change, hierarchy-focused culture, and boss-centric etiquette. Another commented, "It seems the organizational culture failed to accommodate talent."
Additionally, just two days after Kim's resignation news, Chungju City's YouTube channel 'ChungTV' saw a subscriber drop from 970,000 to 950,000, drawing further attention.
Kim's future plans remain unknown, though there have been reports of contact attempts from various entertainment agencies.
Jo Na-yeon, Ten Asia Reporter nybluebook@tenasia.co.kr