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Trailblazing YouTubing civil servant 'Chungju Man' calls it quits as speculation mounts over next move

Published: 13 Feb. 2026, 14:14

Kim Seon-tae speaks in a 2024 YouTube video from Chungju city government's YouTube channel [YOUTUBE]

Kim Seon-tae, the civil servant known as "Chungju Man" as the face of the Chungju city government's official YouTube channel, has expressed his intention to resign.

According to the city government on Friday, Kim submitted his resignation letter to the personnel department the previous day and has since gone on extended leave.

“A decision has not yet been finalized,” a city official said. “As he has indicated his intention to resign, the matter will be handled in accordance with the relevant procedures.”

Kim rose to fame under the nickname “Chungju Man” as the de facto mascot of the city's unexpectedly viral YouTube channel, and planned and produced promotional content for the city. He has been credited as a trailblazer in public sector communications.

The YouTube channel gained rapid popularity with short-form content, earning over 970,000 subscribers through its quick, quirky videos.

Speculation is now mounting over the public servant-turned-nationally-recognized-figure’s next move.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]