Kim Seon-tae, widely known as 'Chungju Man' and former Chungju City PR officer, has made headlines by amassing approximately 720,000 subscribers on his personal YouTube channel just two days after its launch.
On November 2, Kim launched his YouTube channel, 'Kim Seon-tae.' Despite not having any videos uploaded at the time, the channel quickly surpassed 21,500 subscribers, showcasing a rapid growth trajectory.
On November 3, the channel uploaded its first video titled 'This is Kim Seon-tae.' In the video, Kim expressed his thoughts on resigning from his position and addressed internal conflict rumors, stating, "I am no longer Chungju Man."
Following the video's release, the subscriber count surged. As of 1 PM on November 4, the 'Kim Seon-tae' YouTube channel boasted 724,000 subscribers, and the video garnered 3.3 million views within just 18 hours, creating a buzz.
The rapid rise of Kim's channel has sparked interest in the subscriber gap between his new channel and the official Chungju City YouTube channel, which he managed for a decade. Currently, the Chungju City channel has around 770,000 subscribers, and with Kim's channel surpassing 700,000 subscribers in just two days, a reversal in subscriber numbers is being speculated.
Kim had previously hinted at his active engagement by posting a brief message on his personal social media, saying, 'Please show a lot of interest in the new channel,' along with a screenshot of the channel's homepage. The response in the comments was enthusiastic, with support from notable figures such as the official SNS account of Yangsan City, which had a competitive relationship with Chungju City, broadcaster Jang Sung-kyu, actor Lee Sang-yeob, and YouTuber Yuk Sik-man. Notably, popular travel YouTuber 'Pani Bottle' revealed on his SNS that he personally designed the thumbnail for Kim's YouTube channel, showcasing their friendship.
Netizens reacted positively, with comments like, "I subscribed when it was at 70,000, and now it's nearing 700,000," "Chungju City, watch out," and "This is a success story of 'quitting and doing YouTube.'" All eyes are on whether Kim Seon-tae, who gained significant popularity as 'Chungju Man' through the Chungju City YouTube channel, will continue his upward trajectory with his personal channel.
By Soo-min Lee, Ten Asia Reporter danbilee19@tenasia.co.kr