Kim Sun-tae [YouTube channel 'Kim Sun-tae']
Kim Sun-tae [YouTube channel 'Kim Sun-tae']

YouTuber Kim Sun-tae, formerly known as "Chungju Man," has stepped down from KBS web variety show "Donsuntae Seonggong Sidae" (hereinafter "Donsuntae") following backlash over his handling of a segment involving girl group RESCENE member Wonyi in the show's first preview clip.

Kim announced his departure Friday on his YouTube channel, saying he had "felt a great sense of inadequacy in leading that kind of broadcast as a solo MC" and decided to step down voluntarily.

"I suppose I was too ambitious," Kim said. "Trying out as a solo MC on a terrestrial broadcaster, I found it was not easy. I lacked the ability. It was my fault."

He also cited difficulties working without an agency. "Because I have no agency and am on my own, I felt things were not running smoothly overall," he said. "To be honest, I also had difficulties communicating with the production team."

Kim said he had called RESCENE and the agency's CEO directly to apologize before making his announcement. "I was told the members were the ones who expressed concern for me first," he said. "That made me feel even more sorry — two, three times over."

"This incident made me look back at myself," he added. "I thought a lot about whether I had lost my original mindset. I am sorry for causing discomfort through this."

"Donsuntae" is a program in which Kim invites guests who have achieved success and asks them about the secrets behind their accomplishments. The show drew attention as Kim's first MC role at KBS after he left his "Chungju Man" YouTube channel.

The controversy erupted Wednesday when the first preview clip was released. The clip featured RESCENE member Wonyi, and the phrase "museopno" — previously at the center of a controversy involving the far-right online community "Ilgan Best" (Ilbe) — was prominently featured. The thumbnail included the phrase "naono," and Kim prompted Wonyi by asking, "If you were to talk lightly about the 'museopno' incident, what would you say?" He also pushed her to respond in dialect, saying, "Say something in dialect — 'Why is my name coming up in politics, naono?'" Wonyi deflected with wit, replying, "I don't even know what that is."

RESCENE member Wonyi appearing on KBS web variety show "Donsuntae Seonggong Sidae."
RESCENE member Wonyi appearing on KBS web variety show "Donsuntae Seonggong Sidae."

The clip drew widespread criticism. The most common complaint was that Kim's line of questioning amounted to secondary harm against Wonyi, who had already suffered considerable distress from the earlier Ilbe controversy. Wonyi had previously been caught up in that controversy after using the word "museopno" in conversation with a fellow group member on camera. Public opinion had largely sided with Wonyi — a native of the Gyeongsang region — on the grounds that she was simply using her local dialect. But having that controversy repeatedly dredged up remained a burden for her. Had Wonyi made any verbal misstep in response to Kim's prompting, she could have found herself embroiled in yet another controversy.

Critics also pointed out that the show used the dialect ending "no" in a mocking way. While "no" is a standard sentence-ending particle in the Gyeongsang dialect, it is also used on Ilbe as a slur against former President Roh Moo-hyun, and observers have noted that Ilbe's usage has spread online in ways disconnected from its dialectal origins. Deliberately using "no" in the "Donsuntae" clip — in contexts where it was unnecessary — was inappropriate, critics said.

The production team later revised the title and thumbnail, but as the backlash intensified, it made the clip private.

On Thursday, the production team posted a public apology, saying it was "sincerely sorry again to everyone who was made uncomfortable, and particularly to RESCENE and Kim Sun-tae."

Kim also addressed the matter on his YouTube channel, saying he had not requested any prior review or preview of the uploaded video "while hiding behind the name of a broadcaster." He acknowledged that "making unreasonable references to the guest, as many people pointed out, was clearly my fault as well."


paq@heraldcorp.com