[Herald Economy = Reporter Kim Seong-hoon] Chungju City's official YouTube channel, which was rocked by the dismissal of former official Kim Seon-tae—popularly known online as "Chungju Man"—has rebuilt its audience and appears to be entering a second peak.Yonhap reported May 8 that the city credited the rebound to fresh, original content from Officer Choi Ji-ho, the star of the so-called "Jiho Goes" series; the channel has again surpassed 800,000 subscribers.
As of that morning, the channel counted about 818,000 subscribers.
City officials said the milestone is especially meaningful because it came after the channel fell into a serious crisis following Kim Seon-tae's dismissal.
After news of Kim's resignation, the subscriber base plunged from roughly 971,000 to about 751,000 in four days.
Choi, who succeeded Kim, rebuilt the fandom with a narrative that blended solemnity and humor. He even rallied viewers with the dramatic slogan "Hold the Nakdong River defense line."
His parody of the period drama Chuno drew attention; viewers praised its comic premise and polished production values.
Choi also spoofed the Netflix dating show Single's Inferno in a segment titled "Catfish Appears" to introduce a new team member, and parodied the film The Man Who Lives with the King to promote the Jungangtap costume rental shop (literal translation: "Shall We Wear and Play?"), winning strong responses for his clever approach.
In a Q&A post marking the 800,000-subscriber milestone, Choi wrote, "I will always remain humble and grateful to our subscribers," and added, "I will do my best to produce more enjoyable and informative videos."
