Kim Seon-tae, widely known as 'Chungju Man' and former Chungju City PR officer, has stirred up controversy once again after launching his personal YouTube channel following his departure from public office.
On October 4th, an anonymous post titled "Chungju's Kim Seon-tae Lacks Loyalty" appeared on the workplace community app Blind. The post, written by a fellow public servant, criticized Kim for not bringing his former team along with him, stating, "If you're starting a new promotional YouTube channel, you should bring your team along. With 800,000 subscribers, it could become a company."
The author expressed disappointment, saying, "There should be staff, and we were a team, appearing in videos together. There's a bond, but he left alone." This comment seemed to express dissatisfaction with Kim's decision to start a personal channel without his former colleagues from the official Chungju City YouTube channel.
As the post gained traction online, it sparked a heated debate. Netizens responded with comments such as, "What are you talking about? Are you suggesting other employees should quit their jobs too?", "How can he bring them along when success isn't guaranteed?", "That's a selfish perspective," and "Why is this even an issue?"
This isn't the first time Kim has been at the center of internal conflict rumors. In previous interviews, he mentioned experiencing jealousy and envy within the organization due to his bold content as a public servant. Following these statements, rumors circulated online about him being ostracized and facing internal scrutiny.
Kim Seon-tae gained significant popularity as 'Chungju Man' while leading the Chungju City official YouTube channel for a decade. His witty hosting and daring content made the channel a successful case study in local government promotion, amassing over 800,000 subscribers and setting a new standard for municipal YouTube operations.
However, in February, he unexpectedly announced his resignation, drawing considerable attention. Speculation arose about a potential move to the Blue House, but Kim launched his personal YouTube channel on October 2nd, marking the start of his new venture.
On October 4th, he released his first video on the channel, signaling the beginning of his personal content journey. As of 1 PM on October 5th, his channel 'Kim Seon-tae' boasts approximately 964,000 subscribers, nearing the 1 million mark. Despite leaving public office, he continues to attract significant interest, with many eyes on his future endeavors.
Lee Soo-min, TenAsia Reporter danbilee19@tenasia.co.kr