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

Kim Seon-tae, the former Chungju city civil servant known online as "Chungju Man," left his government post to become an independent YouTuber and has criticized the government over its complicated administrative authentication procedures.

Kim uploaded a video titled "Inje Promotion" to his YouTube channel on Friday.

In the video, Kim visited Inje in Gangwon Province to participate in the hometown love donation program — a scheme that gives donors registered outside Gangwon Province a 30 percent return in local specialty products along with a tax deduction.

As he tried to log in on his phone to donate 100,000 won ($72), a login screen appeared and he said, "This isn't easy. This is the weak point."

Even after completing the login through portal site authentication, more verification steps followed. When a residency confirmation window appeared, Kim said, "I don't understand why they made this. If you verify your identity, don't they already have your address?" He added, "The government is the problem here. This isn't an Inje problem."

He then said, "The Ministry of Interior and Safety is the problem. They've never done the actual work — just sitting behind a desk. It should be easy, but it's way too complicated."

Kim's blunt remarks drew sympathetic responses from online users. "It's funny how he's more aggressive now that he's no longer a public official," one commenter wrote. Others said, "As a former civil servant, he's good at pointing out government problems," and "Effortlessly rude — it feels like he's back to his roots."


paq@heraldcorp.com