Return Date to Be Announced in 2 Months
Webtoon artist turned broadcaster 'Chimchakman' (webtoon pen name Imalnyeon, real name Lee Byung-geon) has announced a temporary suspension of his broadcasting activities. This move has drawn attention as it came after his close friend and webtoon artist Joo Ho-min, who co-hosted broadcasts with him as a duo, was embroiled in allegations of persistently filing malicious complaints against a special education teacher.
On the 25th of last month, Chimchakman announced on his fan community 'Chimhaha' that he planned to take a long break after his broadcast on the 27th, stating, "I am thinking of a period of about two months."
Chimchakman said, "Until now, I have always told you when I would return after a break, but this time I will not disclose the return date. I plan to come back when I feel I have rested enough," adding, "Since you can wait, I will inform you after two months whether I will take additional time off."
He will continue uploading to his YouTube channel. Chimchakman said, "While resting, I plan to introduce a watch system and character-specific mad movies," and added, "For the past three months, we have also recruited new experts and reorganized the company internally. Everyone is working hard to ensure the system can operate smoothly even without me."
He also said, "I don't know what will happen to the Chimchakman channel and its subsidiary channels in the future. It has been 10 years since I poured my affection into them. I started suddenly, but it is hard to just suddenly let go," but promised a return, saying, "The channels are something I love very much and represent memories currently in progress."
Finally, he left a message saying, "I hope you always live thinking of yourselves first above all else."
Although Chimchakman did not specify the reason for his break, most subscribers believe the 'Joo Ho-min incident' was the trigger.
Previously, Joo Ho-min was embroiled in controversy for reportedly filing a child abuse complaint against a special education teacher who taught his child with autism spectrum traits, which was seen as an excessive response. The issue drew even more criticism as it surfaced amid growing social outrage over violations of teachers' rights.
The backlash extended to Chimchakman as well. During a live broadcast at the end of July, when related comments appeared on Chimchakman's broadcast, he said, "As a close acquaintance of Ho-min, I view this incident with regret," and added, "The controversy is so heated that I have nothing to say. I would appreciate it if you could wait calmly for now."
According to the startup analysis platform 'Forest of Innovation,' Geum Byeong-yeong Co., Ltd., which operates and manages the Chimchakman channel, recorded total sales of 4.96 billion KRW last year. Operating profit was 3.56 billion KRW, and net profit after tax was 2.91 billion KRW. Geum Byeong-yeong was established in May 2020 with Imalnyeon as its CEO. All revenue came from YouTube, excluding income from Twitch, the game broadcasting platform where Imalnyeon conducts live streams. Additionally, appearance fees and advertising revenue from various OTT and other media broadcast programs featuring Imalnyeon were not included.
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