Comedian Lee Guk-joo revealed that she accepts even derogatory comments about her appearance as jokes.
On the 2nd, a video titled 'Guk-joo's House - Ahn Jae-hyun and Kwak Bum's Episode: Ahn Jae-hyun's Tips for Not Gaining Weight' was released on Lee Guk-joo's YouTube channel.
On that day, Ahn Jae-hyun shared, "I eat 3-4 cherry tomatoes or vegetables before meals," and added, "I gain weight easily. I've gained up to 86kg," while sharing his tips for not gaining weight. In response, Lee Guk-joo humorously remarked, "You look thin."
The three of them reminisced about their days as unknowns and newcomers. Kwak Bum recalled, "It was tough before I passed the public recruitment. There was no money, and living while looking forward to the once-a-year exam was not easy. I was busy working part-time while writing jokes."
He continued, "I thought all comedians would become stars. But when I actually became one, I found it harder than the public recruitment exam. When I went to 'Gag Concert', everyone was a genius, with different styles and they were all so funny. It was mentally tough to think about how to survive," expressing envy towards Lee Guk-joo, saying, "(Lee Guk-joo) has a certain energy as a comedian."
In response, Lee Guk-joo said, "When I entered the broadcasting station through public recruitment, the senior female comedians who were bigger than me all had bad expressions. I heard, 'You cut off my livelihood'." She acknowledged the advantages of her physicality. She added, "I didn't particularly grow up being teased about my appearance. I was very outgoing in my neighborhood and wasn't the type to be teased. But when I came here and received comments about my appearance, I thought, 'This is my character.' So I was open to being teased as a comedian."
She further explained, "I dislike being teased in a non-broadcasting context, but I’m okay with it if it’s done as a joke. Absolutely. Once I figured that out quickly, I was hurt less."
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
