"If We Hit 1 Million, I'll Resign Too"... 'Chungju Man' Successor Speaks Out as Channel Recovers 800,000 Subscribers

The Chungju City YouTube channel, which had experienced a decline in subscribers following the resignation of former officer Kim Seontae-also known as "Chungju Man"-has regained the 800,000-subscriber mark. Choi Jiho, Kim's successor, candidly shared his feelings about the initial confusion and his current mindset in content celebrating the channel reaching 800,000 subscribers.

Screenshot of 'Chungju City' YouTube channel

원본보기 아이콘

On May 5, a video titled "Thank You for 800,000 Subscribers. Humble Girl’s Low-Key Talk" was released on the Chungju City YouTube channel. In the video, Choi Jiho, who took over the channel’s management after Kim’s departure, led the atmosphere with his characteristic humor. Contrary to his nickname "Humble Girl," he appeared reclining with his legs crossed, drawing laughter from viewers.

Choi commented, "Not long ago, we were aiming for 1 million, and now it's already 800,000," adding, "This is all thanks to our subscribers." This was interpreted as a subtle reference to the sharp drop in subscribers after Kim Seontae left the position.

In fact, the Chungju City YouTube channel, which was on the verge of reaching 1 million subscribers, dropped to the 750,000 range after Kim’s resignation. Afterwards, Choi-who had worked on content production with Kim-drew attention by releasing videos capturing the sense of loss within the team, even referencing scenes from the drama "Chuno."

Choi joked, "Some of you might have tuned in just to see if I could do better than Kim Seontae, and I'd be grateful if those people would unsubscribe," adding, "How could a level-8 civil servant keep up with a YouTuber with 1.6 million subscribers? Sometimes, you just have to admit things as they are."

Reflecting on Kim’s departure, Choi said, "It felt like the inevitable had finally happened," and recalled, "He always handed over his duties too thoroughly and kept pressuring me about when we’d hit 1 million subscribers, so I thought something was off." He added honestly, "I felt like a disaster had finally struck."

When asked if he’d ever been envious, Choi replied, "The person I used to edit and upload videos with now earns tens of millions, even billions of won," but added, "The difference in scale is so great, I’m not really envious." He continued, "I’m sure the team leader has his own struggles, so all I can do is cheer him on."

As for future plans, he stated, "I have no intention of resigning via YouTube," but joked, "If we reach 1 million, then, as the subscribers wish, I’ll follow the team leader and resign."

He added, "I recently saw Kim Seontae, and his face looked radiant. I’m glad he seems happy," promising, "I’ll always stay humble and grateful, and continue making good videos."

Meanwhile, after resigning from Chungju City, Kim Seontae launched his own YouTube channel in March. Within just three days, he surpassed 1 million subscribers, and he currently has approximately 1.66 million subscribers.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.