At this point it is literally the 'Kim Seon-tae' syndrome. Kim Seon-tae, once called the 'Chungju man,' reached 1 million subscribers and grabbed the YouTube Gold Play Button just three days after launching his personal YouTube channel. With anticipation for his next first video, attention is also on whether he will unbox the silver and gold play buttons at the same time.
As of 7 p.m. on the 5th, Kim Seon-tae's YouTube channel subscribers had already surpassed 1 million. It is especially astonishing because he reached the milestone with only one video on the channel. It is an unprecedented case of earning the Gold Play Button almost immediately, about three days after creating the channel.
Kim Seon-tae worked as an Assistant Deputy Director in the Chungju city hall public relations team, producing and managing content for Chungju's official YouTube channel. With his distinctive B-grade sensibility, rapid editing and witty planning, he drew major attention, earned the nickname "Chungju man," and was credited with creating a new trend in public institution promotional content.
As a result, Chungju's official YouTube channel drew attention by recording a standout number of subscribers among local government channels. But the situation changed when Kim Seon-tae resigned from Chungju city hall last month. After that, he launched a personal YouTube channel under his own name and embarked on a new challenge as a solo creator.
As soon as the channel was revealed, subscribers who had supported the "Chungju man" surged in and the subscriber count exploded. Hundreds of thousands joined within a day of the channel's launch, and within only three days he reached 1 million subscribers and secured the Gold Play Button. In the process, Kim Seon-tae quickly surpassed the subscriber count of the Chungju official YouTube channel where he had worked. The rise of his personal channel has been astonishingly rapid.
Earlier, Kim Seon-tae showed a cautious reaction to the channel's explosive growth. In an interview with OSEN, he said, "I am grateful for the much more love than expected," while also noting, "The situation feels somewhat overheated. It could be a bubble, so I won't get complacent." Meanwhile, on the same day he also expressed gratitude via social media. He said, "Thank you for 1 million subscribers. Leave questions in the comments," indicating he intends to actively communicate with subscribers.
As the channel has rapidly grown, corporations' offers have followed. In fact, companies including Binggrae, Norang Tongdak, BBQ, Hanatour and Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) expressed willingness to collaborate in the comments, making clear the "Kim Seon-tae effect." Expectations among netizens are growing. Comments include "Is the second video a gold play button unboxing?", "Please gather the companies that commented and do an ideal-typical world cup," "Invite all the companies that commented and make a job fair content, that would be fun," and "I think it's the first time I've seen a YouTuber review both the silver and gold play buttons at the same time," among many ideas and messages of support. Others wrote, "He started YouTube only a few days ago and already has a million," "I'm curious what content will come after the first video," and "Please do everything you really want to do," raising expectations for his next video.
Meanwhile, Kim Seon-tae recently submitted his resignation from his civil servant post at Chungju city and retired. Although there were rumors of a Blue House job appointment, he cautioned against overinterpretation, saying it was "about tea time." He is now pursuing creator activities centered on his personal YouTube channel. Having earned the Gold Play Button with a single video, people are focused on what his second video will be and how far this "Kim Seon-tae" syndrome will continue.
[Photos] OSEN DB, YouTube
[OSEN]