"He Was a 'Cancerous Presence in the Public Sector'... Various Interpretations of 'Chungju Man's' Sudden Resignation

Online abuzz over Chungju-man's resignation
Kim Seontae: "A decision for a new challenge"

As news spread of the resignation of administrative officer Kim Seontae, nicknamed "Chungju Man", who has been running the official YouTube channel of Chungju City in North Chungcheong Province, various interpretations have emerged regarding his reasons for leaving.

Kim Seontae, administrative officer nicknamed "Chungju Man", who has run the official YouTube channel of Chungju City in North Chungcheong Province. Chungju City YouTube

On the office worker community app Blind, multiple speculations were circulating on the 14th about the background of Kim's resignation. Some users mentioned the possible relevance of the internal atmosphere within the organization, while others interpreted it as a decision made in consideration of his future plans. There were also opinions that the change in organizational conditions may have had an impact, citing former Chungju Mayor Cho Gilhyeong’s early resignation to run for governor of North Chungcheong Province.

'970,000-subscriber' YouTube channel creator Chungju Man suddenly resigns

The Chungju City YouTube channel, for which Kim has been in charge of content production and operation, has surpassed 970,000 subscribers, making it one of the leading examples among local governments in South Korea in terms of subscriber numbers. It drew attention with relatively short videos and planning and editing styles that leveraged so-called "B-grade" sensibilities.

There is an assessment that the Chungju City YouTube case has triggered changes in how public institutions conduct public relations. Recognizing these achievements, Kim was specially promoted from Grade 9, to which he was appointed on October 2016, to Grade 6, which qualifies him to serve as a team leader, in about seven years. However, on the 12th he suddenly announced his intention to resign.

Kim Seontae, an administrative officer known as 'Chungju Man' who has run Chungju City's official YouTube channel in North Chungcheong Province, has decided to leave public service.

"Internal checks must have been intense"... Various speculations over his resignation

On Blind, a post titled "Are there civil servants who dislike Chungju Man?" mentioned the internal atmosphere of the organization. The author wrote, "In the world of civil servants, where people hate standing out, it is not easy to achieve such results by going that far," adding, "I actually think Chungju Man is truly remarkable precisely because he is a civil servant."

Many comments followed. One user said, "Maybe he is leaving because he has completed 10 years for the pension? It may simply be a natural personal choice," and added, "Honestly, which civil servant wants to show their face and do that kind of work?"

Some focused on the possibility that he had faced strong internal checks over the years. Another user wrote, "Now that the mayor of Chungju has resigned, it seems he no longer has a pillar to lean on." Another comment read, "The mayor must have shielded him a lot all this time. I wonder how intense the internal checks must have been." Former Mayor Cho is known to have given Kim his full support.

Posts also appeared expressing cynicism about the rigid culture of the public sector. One civil servant wrote a post on Blind titled "Chungju Man was a cancerous presence in the public sector," saying, "He snapped up a Grade 6 team leader position that others have to work 20 years to reach," and continued, "He himself (Kim) admitted that many people disliked him, and now that he is gone, the public sector will become harmonious and peaceful. The public sector is, by nature, a place that can never tolerate someone who is more successful or stands out more than oneself."

As Kim’s specific next steps have not yet been made public, various forecasts continue. Kim also personally commented on the matter. Speaking to Yonhap News on the 13th, he said, "My goal was to reach 1 million subscribers, and I think I have almost achieved that goal," adding, "I submitted my resignation because I wanted to take on a new challenge." He went on, "Nothing has been decided, but I want to keep living in Chungju and try new challenges in broadcasting or on YouTube," and added, "I concluded that it would be impossible to pursue new challenges while remaining in public service."

Meanwhile, after news of Kim’s resignation broke, the number of subscribers to Chungju City’s official YouTube channel fell from 970,000 to 947,000. As of the 14th, the farewell video featuring Kim’s goodbye message has recorded 2.27 million views.