Former announcer Kim Seon-geun recalled the difficult times he faced after declaring himself a freelancer.
On the 23rd, the KBS2 entertainment program 'Sajangnim Gwi-neun Dangnagi Gwi' (directed by Ahn Sang-eun, hereafter 'Sajangui') continued its upward trend in viewership ratings, recording a nationwide rating of 5.9%, a peak rating of 8.3%, and 1.7% among the 2049 demographic, maintaining its position as the number one entertainment program in the same time slot for 143 consecutive weeks. (According to Nielsen Korea)
Boss Eom Ji-in visited the home of former announcer Kim Seon-geun, who has entered his third year as a freelancer after recently leaving KBS, along with junior announcers Kim Jin-woong and Hong Joo-yeon. When Kim Hyun-wook, dressed in a flashy designer coat, joined them, Kim Jin-woong, who was full of energy, remarked, "I buried my soul in KBS," while trying to gauge Eom Ji-in's reaction. However, Kim Hyun-wook humorously pointed out, "Even Jo Woo-jong, who said he would become the president of KBS, eventually submitted his resignation," which elicited laughter.
In response to Eom Ji-in's request to advise juniors on how cold it is outside, Kim Seon-geun revealed, "I boldly resigned to audition for the MC role in 'Mr. Trot 2,' but after failing in the preliminaries, I had zero income for six months." He expressed gratitude, saying, "During that tough time, Jang Yoon-jung generously lent me 2 million won." He continued, "I earned 100,000 won a day working part-time unloading deliveries, and I often cried alone in the early morning." His wife, who tearfully mentioned that they hesitated to buy beef for their child and even sold their child's first birthday ring, moved Kim Jin-woong to tears as well. Kim Seon-geun, who shouted, "It has to go well," received a warm response from Kim Hyun-wook, who said, "For the sake of my sister-in-law, I need to share my work."
The second story of Boss Lee Soon-sil's 'self-reliance' was revealed. Frustrated with the slow employees, Lee Soon-sil made a seasoning sauce by grinding peppers with her hands and using branches as makeshift spoons, pairing it with a boiled northern-style chicken soup. She showcased a mountain cooking show by mixing noodles in a cold kimchi broth that had ice on top, taken from an earthenware jar buried in the ground. Lee Soon-sil, holding the boiled chicken meat with well-fermented kimchi and toasting, looked like a character from a cartoon, which made everyone laugh. When Lee Soon-sil, with her fingers stained with kimchi seasoning, tried to feed the noodles and boiled chicken wrapped in chives to the hesitant employees, they eventually opened their mouths like baby birds and indulged in a storm of eating.
After a satisfying meal, Lee Soon-sil, using a branch to clean her teeth, was the very embodiment of a natural mountain man. After filling her stomach, she tasted the homemade wasp liquor and ginseng liquor made by her natural friend and expressed her admiration. While drinking the medicinal liquor, she shared the damages caused by the recent forest fire, showing a calm demeanor, saying, "I learn about life in nature." The Soon-sil expedition went to check out the liquor storage. When Lee Soon-sil chose a green onion root liquor, she successfully exchanged it with Jang Yi-sa, who boldly picked a rare ginseng liquor, simply saying, "Swap!" They even took a commemorative photo with the liquors they held before dispersing.
Boss Jeong Ji-seon announced her entry into fine dining Chinese cuisine. Chef Kim Hee-eun, who has a Michelin one-star Korean fine dining restaurant and is a close friend of Jeong Ji-seon, stated that they came to pursue Michelin recognition in Chinese cuisine. As Kim Hee-eun meticulously measured the size and spacing of vegetables with a ruler to prepare them uniformly, Jeong Ji-seon and the staff expressed their admiration, saying, "We hold our breath watching." The expensive plates caught their attention just as much as the intricate food setups, and Kim Hee-eun revealed her principle of only providing the best to customers, stating that she does not use dishes that are cracked or chipped, as she buys works from ceramic artists for display only.
Jeong Ji-seon, who carefully examined the beautifully presented dishes, accurately identified the main flavors of the ingredients and continuously praised the balance of strong-flavored dishes. After tasting the beautifully crafted lotus-shaped chicken dish, Jeong Ji-seon's eyebrows twitched, and she was amazed by the colorful appearance and perfect flavor density of the lamb rib patties shaped like roof tiles. After trying desserts that recreated the cross-sections of ingredients, such as walnut-shaped pastries and burdock ice cream, Jeong Ji-seon expressed that she now has a new goal to showcase the delicacy of Chinese cuisine hidden behind its flamboyance, stating her challenge in fine dining Chinese cuisine. However, she was astonished by the reality of fine dining restaurants, which have to endure losses with an average profit margin of about 5% despite meal costs reaching hundreds of thousands of won. Kim Hee-eun's comment that "the stress to meet customer expectations is also immense. Sometimes we have to give up profits to maintain the reputation of a Michelin-starred restaurant" resonated with Jeong Ji-seon.
When Jeong Ji-seon asked Kim Hee-eun why she endures losses, Kim Hee-eun replied, "I hope the dishes I love are recognized by people, and I want to protect my honor," which caught attention. Jeong Ji-seon expressed sympathy as Kim Hee-eun mentioned that gatherings of female owner chefs have been a great support. Jeong Ji-seon shared her own struggles, recalling how, when she first started working at a Chinese restaurant, she had to work while getting hit by ladles and Chinese knives from her seniors, and how she had to quickly return to work after receiving emergency treatment for a finger injury that required 30 stitches. She also revealed that during the restaurant's first opening, she had to register her husband as the representative due to industry discrimination and neglect, which brought tears to everyone. Jeong Ji-seon expressed pride in the female owner chefs who overcame discrimination, saying, "I was lonely, but I'm not lonely anymore," and began preparing for a collaboration event.
Meanwhile, 'Sajangnim Gwi-neun Dangnagi Gwi' airs every Sunday at 4:40 PM on KBS2.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
