Actor Cho Jungseok is stepping away from the YouTube channel where he performed as his alter ego "Daengi dad Cho Jeomseok."
On the 8th, a video titled "I have decided to step away from this channel" was uploaded to the "Cheonggyesan Daengi Records" channel.
In the video description, "Hello, Meorikkeu viewers! This is Daengi dad. I'm sorry to greet you after such a long time with this kind of news… Because this is a space we have worked hard to raise together, I really thought a lot before stepping away from the channel… It seems I now must give a final farewell. Thank you to all the Meorikkeu who loved Daengi dad, Cho Jeomseok. Meorikkeu viewers! Always love and be happy!" he offered as his final farewell.
Appearing in the video as "Jo Jeomseok," Cho Jungseok said, "It's been a long time since I greeted you, and I'm here to deliver a weighty message. As of today I have decided to step away from this channel, which has been a major part of my life. I will explain the reasons later when there is another opportunity, and as some of you know, I think there are reasons for this."
He said, "It took a very long time to make this decision. I didn't want to give up easily, and because this was a space I loved so much, I struggled with it even more. Nevertheless, I concluded that this choice is the direction I need most right now. As an ordinary person who was loved as a YouTuber, I had a truly happy time. It's all thanks to you. But leaving these memories behind, I'm going to take off the special mask I wore and return to an ordinary daily life," he explained.
He continued, "I also thought a lot about the channel. So rather than abandoning this channel, it seemed disrespectful to the Meorikkeu who loved and cherished our channel, so I intend to pass it on to someone who can do it better. But that person probably has no idea what I'm thinking. I need to meet and talk with them, but in any case I'll discuss it well and make a decision," he said.
He added, "I'm sorry to bring you such heavy news. Thanks to you I was very happy and enjoyed it, and I will never forget you Meorikkeu in the future. I hope we can meet in another form. Let's keep supporting each other hard. I love you all. Goodbye, Daengi dad," he said.
Earlier, Cho Jungseok launched the YouTube channel "Cheonggyesan Daengi Records" in 2024 to promote the Netflix variety show A-list to Playlist and uploaded various cover videos. On YouTube he erased his main persona and performed as his alter ego "Daengi dad Cho Jeomseok," and he once uploaded content showing a meeting between his main persona and alter ego with the line "I met actor Cho Jungseok," which drew laughs. Initially he appeared in that video with his face hidden by emoticons, but he later revealed his face on a YouTube live, and he showed his dedication to the alter ego by appearing with a dot on his face as if not himself.
In February, Cho Jungseok posted a handwritten letter to the "Cheonggyesan Daengi Records" channel to thank viewers for surpassing 500,000 subscribers and said, "I have one more piece of good news. Another great happiness has come. Daengi's sibling was just born! So for a while, uploading videos will be difficult because of childcare. I'll rest just a little and return as soon as possible! Then I think I'll be able to bring more interesting videos with stories different from now," announcing a pause in activity. Then, three months later, he declared his retirement from YouTube.
However, based on the remark "I intend to pass the channel to someone who can do it better," fans speculate that while the alter ego Jo Jeomseok is retiring, the main persona Cho Jungseok may continue activities on YouTube.
Meanwhile, Cho Jungseok married singer Gummy in 2018 and welcomed his first daughter in 2020. Later Gummy announced her second pregnancy, and in January this year she gave birth to a second daughter, drawing many congratulations.
[Photo] Cheonggyesan Daengi Records
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