On the MBC show ‘Heart-pounding Lecturers’ (hereafter ‘Lecturers’) that aired yesterday (10th), Kim Young-man, Kim Tae-hoon, and Oh Eun-young deeply resonated with viewers through their life stories under the theme of “When the world doesn‘t go my way”.

Kim Young-man, the first speaker, honestly talked about his journey from his days working as a designer to becoming the ‘Origami Man’. After starting an advertising agency but failing and struggling emotionally while staying at a friend’s house, an origami class he happened to see at a kindergarten became the turning point in his life. Kim Young-man said that he began to devote himself to origami with a sense of mission that “Children in our country should also be able to learn origami”, and explained the reason why he has researched over 30,000 new origami pieces. He shared his own philosophy, saying, “Even if life doesn’t go as planned, I can get back up by remembering the joy and pleasure I gained from failure.” He also emphasized that the origami he created was focused on “things that children can imitate,” and that it was not simple entertainment, but a work filled with sincere love for children.



Kim Tae-hoon, who took the stage next as the lecturer, displayed his veteran lecturer’s side with a relaxed demeanor. As a professional N-jobber, he opened by saying that he has had 18 jobs, and talked about the importance of acknowledging that life doesn’t go as planned and finding a new path through it through his various jobs and life experiences. He talked about the attitude of accepting pain, like the philosopher Schopenhauer said, “Rather than complaining at every difficult time in life, we should find a solution.” His cheerful banter and deep insight brought both laughter and emotion to the audience.

Eunyoung Oh, who was the last to take the stage, confessed her battle with colon cancer and told a story about the desperate moment when she thought she might lose her health and leave this world. As a doctor who had lived her life protecting the health of others, the shock and resentment she felt when she was diagnosed with cancer left a deep scar. Eunyoung Oh said, “The moment I realized that life wasn’t going the way I wanted it to, I came to understand that despair was not a weakness, but a natural emotion that everyone feels as a human being,” and emphasized that in order to overcome despair, one must accept one’s condition and communicate. She shared her warm encouragement, saying, “When the younger generations feel hopeless and frustrated, it is important for the older generations to communicate with them and help them live more comfortably.”

MBC’s “Heart-pounding lecturers,” which will continue to make viewers’ hearts beat, airs every Sunday at 9:10 p.m.

Choi Yoon-na, Donga.com reporter yyynnn@donga.com