"Cold Winter Has Come": 1.65M Subscriber YouTuber Kim Suntae Faces Declining Work and Staff Resignation

Opening Up About Business Struggles on YouTube
"It's Supposed to Be Peak Season, But It Feels Like a Cold Winter for Us"
Now Reconsidering Lecture Offers Previously Declined

YouTuber Kim Suntae, known as "Chungju Man," has opened up about his company’s business difficulties.

Youtuber Kim Seontae has shared an update on his recent activities. YouTube

On September 11, in a video titled "Kim Suntae Promotion" posted on his YouTube channel, Kim responded to a question about his recent updates by saying, "As you know, I’m getting by one day at a time." He added, "There isn’t much work at the moment. Although this is supposed to be the peak season, it feels like a cold winter has come for us."

"An Employee Resigned... Considering Lectures I Used to Decline"

He also mentioned that a staff member recently expressed their intention to resign. Kim joked, "If you watch the movie 'Titanic,' the mice are the first to escape. Maybe it's about survival?" However, he continued, "I didn't think the working conditions were bad, but from the employee's perspective, they might not have liked it." He added, "There’s a lot of pressure in running the company. Isn’t it possible that it might have to close at any time?"

Although Kim had been declining lecture requests to focus on his YouTube content, he stated that he is now reconsidering. After reviewing emails offering lecture opportunities, Kim said, "My situation has changed, so I’m thinking about giving lectures. Given that they're frequently in the news these days, lectures may not be a bad idea." To his current advertisers, he offered a deep bow and remarked, "Honestly, I’ve been somewhat arrogant lately. I want to work earnestly again and return to my original mindset."

Regarding recent malicious comments directed at him, Kim said, "I’ve spoken to a lawyer. (To the malicious commenters,) you should be careful," but added, "Filing a lawsuit would be too much. Who am I to do that?" He went on, "For celebrities, the impact is significant, isn’t it? The negative comments hit me hard too, but there have been far more supportive comments."

First Solo MC Role, Then Stepping Down After RESCENE Controversy

In 2016, Kim joined as a grade 9 public servant and managed Chungju City’s official YouTube channel "ChungTV." He gathered more than 900,000 subscribers and received a special promotion to grade 6, but in February he abruptly submitted his resignation and left the position. His personal YouTube channel, launched afterward, now has 1.65 million subscribers.

In July, during a preview video of the KBS YouTube entertainment show "Don Suntae: Era of Success," Kim mentioned a controversy over the dialect expression "Museopno" by RESCENE girl group member Wonee, and faced criticism that this amounted to "secondary harm." He later apologized to the agency head and group members and voluntarily left the program. At the time, Kim said, "It was difficult being alone without an agency," and, "I felt I lacked a lot as a solo MC leading the show."

In a video released last month, he was shown sitting alone in the middle of an empty room without any furniture. In the video, surrounded by liquor bottles and trash, Kim commented, "So lonely," and his thick beard and unfocused gaze suggested complicated emotions. Lee Dongsuk, the mayor of Chungju, left a humorous comment on the video: "I am the new mayor of Chungju. Are you thinking about returning to Chungju City Hall?"

Meanwhile, in the early days of his YouTube channel, Kim regularly posted corporate promotional content; but after the controversy, he began uploading daily life videos featuring topics such as independence activists and puppies. Amid this, a video he uploaded on September 4 titled "Impromptu Trip Promotion" drew attention as it coincided with the exposure of MBC's "I Live Alone" impromptu trip manipulation controversy. Netizens positively commented, "He still has great instincts."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.