Park Seo-jin, who appeared on ‘Problematic Men in the Attic’, successfully made his debut solo talk show appearance with his unfiltered and pure storytelling.
On July 31, the KBS2 entertainment program ‘Problematic Men in the Attic Season 2’ (hereafter ‘Okmunah’) featured the rising entertainment star ‘God of Janggu’ Park Seo-jin, who was invited to the attic to engage in a dopamine-inducing quiz battle with Song Eun-i, Kim Sook, Kim Jong-kook, Hong Jin-kyung, Yang Se-chan, and Joo Woo-jae over bizarre problems. According to the ratings agency Nielsen Korea, ‘Okmunah’ recorded a nationwide rating of 3.2%, continuing its success.
On that day, Park Seo-jin expressed his feelings about his first solo talk show appearance, saying, "I’m so nervous, I feel dizzy. I wondered if the other guests canceled and they called me alone." He was particularly worried about the quizzes, and his confession of being a "blank slate" in knowledge made Yang Se-chan, who is known as the weakest in quizzes on ‘Okmunah’, show confidence and bring laughter.
He also caught attention with his honest and sincere talk. In particular, Park Seo-jin candidly revealed his plastic surgery, saying, "At first, I didn’t plan to confess, but one day I stood on stage and saw my pre-surgery face on the LED backdrop. I confessed openly due to a pang of conscience." He further stated, "Including plastic surgery, management, and hair transplants, it cost about the price of a luxury sports car," surprising everyone.
He also shared his incredibly busy daily life. Park Seo-jin mentioned, "When I had a lot of schedules, I had about 5 to 7 a day. I have to change my van every 1 to 2 years," revealing that he drives a staggering 2,300 km in just 3 to 4 days.
He reflected on his history of living as ‘KBS’s son’, starting from his appearance on ‘Human Theater’ at the age of 17 to ‘Morning Yard’, ‘Challenge! Dream Stage’, and ‘Salim Nam’. Among them, his friendship with Lim Young-woong, another star produced by ‘Morning Yard’, was revealed, piquing interest. Park Seo-jin introduced Lim Young-woong as a "close brother" but added, "He has risen so high. I can’t easily reach out to him. I can’t even call him," which elicited laughter.
Park Seo-jin's dramatic life-changing story also heightened interest. He revealed, "When I was unknown, I received 100,000 to 200,000 won for appearances, but now it’s about 100 times that," and shared a story of being hurt by a senior singer.
He said, "I was told that I shouldn’t become a singer because I was ugly and my family was poor. One day, I was suddenly cut from an event, and it turned out that the senior said he couldn’t perform with me," which sparked outrage. "I don’t think that senior is in the music industry anymore," he added, providing a sense of vindication. Park Seo-jin also shared heartwarming stories about senior singers who helped him, especially expressing special gratitude to Jang Yoon-jung, who supported his mother’s treatment for cervical cancer.
He also looked back on his childhood, where he dropped out of high school and worked on a boat with his father to support his sick mother, sharing a poignant story: "When I came back from the boat, I smelled so fishy. I would take the bus home, and kids my age would come up and smell me. Sometimes I would get off in the middle and walk home," which was quite touching.
Later, Park Seo-jin shared that he gifted his parents a house he built himself and a dried fish store, evoking emotions, while also expressing his straightforward wish to "become a landlord and receive monthly rent," bringing laughter.
Meanwhile, ‘Problematic Men in the Attic’, where dopamine-exploding chatter and quiz battles unfold, airs every Thursday at 8:30 PM.
[Lee Da-gyeom, Star Today Reporter]
