Jun Hyun-moo exploded with the charm of a reliable senior announcer with honest confessions as well as sympathetic advice to his juniors.

In episode 281 of KBS 2TV‘s ‘The Boss’s Ears Are Donkey Ears’ (abbreviated as ‘Sadangwi’) that aired on the 17th, Boss Kim So-yeon held a large-scale catwalk event that took a year to prepare. It was a mega project that invited top designers Lee Sang-bong, Hwang Jae-geun, Rubina, Jang Gwang-hyo, Park Yoon-soo, and numerous celebrities including Jung Il-woo, Leo J, and Choa. However, with less than 24 hours left until the event was to begin, a printing error occurred and the large banner had to be reprinted.

Jun Hyun-moo expressed his concern, saying, “What if the person in charge came and saw it in advance? You should double-check.” Eventually, as disposable products were everywhere in the event hall, special measures were taken to prohibit drinks. However, the vicious cycle did not end there. When even the advertisements were printed incorrectly, Kim So-yeon was furious at the successive ordering mistakes, saying, “Why didn’t you report it?” However, Kim So-yeon’s boss and the staff successfully fixed the mistakes, inspected the final stage, and successfully finished the event.

The noisy new product advertisement filming of North Korean defector boss Lee Soon-sil was depicted. Lee Soon-sil made viewers laugh by doing broadcast makeup that she learned over the shoulder of the staff who was the advertisement model, and she showed off her one-man-for-a-hundred-strong side by appearing as the model herself, saying, “Eat plenty of acorn rice cakes and stay healthy until you’re 100.” After the advertisement filming, Lee Soon-sil personally presented North Korean-style gamjatang for the staff who had worked hard with her. Instead of the expensive meat, Lee Soon-sil said about the gamjatang (spicy potato stew) filled with Cheongyang peppers, potatoes, perilla leaves, and special seasoning sauce, “If potatoes were common, I wouldn‘t have risked my life to defect. I desperately wanted to eat my fill of potatoes. I especially wanted to eat meat soup with white rice, but after eating meat for 10 years when I first came to South Korea, I’m finally getting sick of it,” revealing the reality of North Korea where even potatoes, a staple food, are precious. In the process, Lee Soon-sil proudly revealed that she “weighs 89 kg,” adding, “In North Korea, being thin is a disgrace. In North Korea, showing off your weight is a symbol of a well-fed and well-off family,” and revealed that weight is a measure of the quality of life in North Korea.


Announcer boss Uhm Ji-in began special training as a live MC for MZ Hong Joo-yeon, who said, “I want to try various programs.” In particular, when announcers Kim Bo-min, Ga Ae-ran, and Park Ji-hyun, who have been together for a combined 57 years, stepped forward as daily mentors for Hong Joo-yeon, Hong Joo-yeon sweat profusely, saying, “They were like grim reapers coming to get me. The Four Heavenly Kings from hell.” Jeon Hyun-moo said, “All three were kind, but I really feel the saying that positions make people,” and then revealed, “Even Um Ji-in didn‘t do that. Um Ji-in, who used to say, ”Why are our seniors so old-fashioned?“ has become the old-fashioned one. I’m most scared that Hong Joo-yeon will become like Um Ji-in as time goes by,” making everyone laugh.

As soon as the mentoring began, the three announcers carefully evaluated Hong Joo-yeon‘s opening comments, as well as the way she held the mic, her reactions, and her closing comments, and even Jeon Hyun-moo coquettishly said, “I learned how to hold the mic for the first time today.” Finally, to the seniors’ scolding, “The juniors will now have the opportunities that Joo-yeon had. There‘s not much time. You might never be able to do broadcasting,” Jeon Hyun-moo confessed his feelings, saying, “That’s true. They say that juniors are the scariest, more than successful seniors. Juniors are their biggest rivals.” Jeon Hyun-moo and Uhm Ji-in added, “(They even say that kind of nagging) out of love,” and continued to offer advice. Hong Joo-yeon‘s first dubbing challenge after her sweaty MC debut was portrayed. Kim Sook responded, “Dubbing is really hard. I’ve been doing it for three years, and my voice and pronunciation have improved a lot,” and showed off her three-year experience by giving an impromptu demonstration. In particular, Kim Sook pointed out that Uhm Ji-in, who keeps nagging in the midst of a tight schedule, is “like an overbearing mother,” and did not spare support for Hong Joo-yeon.

Hong Se-young, Donga.com reporter, projecthong@donga.com