"Choo Sung-hoon's You Have to Earn Your Keep" has attracted attention with its unique combination of labor and travel in a "pay for your own food" journey.
In the episode aired on the 26th, the ENA and EBS co-produced entertainment program "Choo Sung-hoon's You Have to Earn Your Keep" featured Choo Sung-hoon, Kwak Jun-bin, and Lee Eun-ji entering Chongqing, China, where they took on the thrilling job of cleaning a sky bridge on a high-rise building as their first task to earn their keep.
A month before their journey, where they had to earn everything they ate, the "Earn Your Keep Crew" gathered to assign roles. Choo Sung-hoon took on the role of team leader, while the role of treasurer went to Kwak Jun-bin, who had the latest birthday. Lee Eun-ji was assigned as the speaker and search fairy to boost their spirits with songs, raising curiosity about the trio's activities.
Upon arriving in Chongqing, search fairy Lee Eun-ji heightened interest by struggling with the mission to find their accommodation. Although Kwak Jun-bin helped by showing the taxi driver the Chinese address, communication was difficult due to the translation app, and to make matters worse, there was no internet. Choo Sung-hoon also stepped in, but the address led them to a road. After a series of twists and turns, Choo Sung-hoon managed to convert the address into Chinese characters, and fortunately, they arrived at their accommodation, marking the start of a challenging journey.
On their first day without work, they received a minimum wage of 23 yuan per hour from the production team, totaling 69 yuan (about 14,000 KRW) for the three of them to have their first meal. The contrasting approaches of the search-oriented Kwak Jun-bin, who wanted to find a restaurant, and the action-oriented Choo Sung-hoon, who suggested asking people outside, added to the fun, with Lee Eun-ji caught in between their differing opinions.
The "Earn Your Keep Crew" spent about 7,000 KRW enjoying local Chongqing dishes like knife-cut noodles, dumpling soup, and Chongqing noodles, all while being cost-effective. Additionally, they received free skewers from a shop they randomly visited, allowing them to feel the warmth of Chongqing. When the owner suggested settling the bill with a handshake, treasurer Kwak Jun-bin expressed his gratitude by handing over 10 yuan.
During their first extreme job of cleaning a high-rise building, Choo Sung-hoon's strong leadership stood out. Kwak Jun-bin, who had a fear of heights and had told the production team that he would be fine as long as it wasn't a job at a high place, fell into a panic, but Choo Sung-hoon guided him with realistic persuasion and comfort.
The next day, the "Earn Your Keep Crew" went to clean the sky bridge and transparent observation deck located 250 meters high. To accommodate Kwak Jun-bin's fear of heights, team leader Choo Sung-hoon took on the most difficult area outside the railing, Lee Eun-ji handled the medium difficulty railing area, and Kwak Jun-bin was assigned the easiest corridor area. Since their wages would be reduced if the work wasn't completed on time, viewers are curious about the continued activities of the "Earn Your Keep Crew" in the upcoming broadcast on August 2 (Saturday).
Thus, "Choo Sung-hoon's You Have to Earn Your Keep," which captures the local flavors, warmth, and extreme jobs from the very first broadcast, airs every Saturday at 7:50 PM on ENA and EBS.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
