Chef Jeong Ji-sun's discrimination story resonated with Um Ji-in and Kim Suk.
The daily lives of anchor Um Ji-in, Lee Soon-sil, and Chef Jeong Ji-sun were revealed on the 23rd episode of KBS2's 'The Boss's Ears Are Donkey Ears.'
First, on this day, Um Ji-in invited anchors Kim Jin-woong and Hong Joo-yeon to an APT. Kim Jin-woong, who noted that he frequently watches the show featuring Jeon Hyun-moo, responded to questions regarding netizens' reactions by saying, 'I am the second Jeon Hyun-moo. I think I'll soon leave the company. It seems like I will go freelance.' Um Ji-in shouted, 'Is that all the comments you've seen? Since I'm known for being loud, I just see those kinds of things.'
Following that, Um Ji-in expressed suspicion by saying, 'The way Joo-yeon dresses up and Jin-woong only appearing on Jeon Hyun-moo's show is curious. Are you guys trying to go freelance?' She mentioned that she prepared a special gathering for mental training. This led to mocking remarks directed at Um Ji-in from the studio, to which she retorted, 'Jin-woong's shoulders are way too broad.'
The place where Um Ji-in brought the two guests was the house of former anchor Kim Sun-keun. Here, anchor Kim Hyun-wook also joined in to share conversations. As soon as Kim Jin-woong saw the two, he stood up to greet them and emphasized the suspicion of a freelance declaration by saying, 'I have embedded my soul in KBS.' Jeon Hyun-moo remarked, 'You can embed your soul and just step out with your body. I had my soul here too,' which both Um Ji-in and Kim Hyun-wook nodded in agreement. In particular, they mentioned Jo Woo-jong, saying, 'He said he would become a boss, but he was the first to leave.'
Moreover, Um Ji-in explained, 'There is a reason I brought my juniors today. Recently, Mr. Kim Dae-ho also left MBC, and every time someone leaves, the hearts of those still inside are filled with anxiety. How cold it can be out there for the seniors.'
Kim Sun-keun, who is in his third year after resigning, sparked Um Ji-in's curiosity about the deep reasons for his departure. Um Ji-in stated, 'If you go freelance, anchors like Jeon Hyun-moo and Jo Woo-jong have recognition, and Jo Chung-hyeon has wealth at home. Do Kyung-wan's wife is Jang Yoon-jung. What about Kim Sun-keun? It's quite the mystery.'
In response, Kim Sun-keun said, 'I left because of money. I was filming 'Morning Show' when I got a call saying the subscription had been approved. I couldn't focus on filming. The down payment, interim payment, final payment, children's education expenses, and costs for supporting my parents overwhelmed me.' He further explained, 'It couldn't be resolved with my salary. I don't know what will happen after I leave, but there may be a chance to earn a little more. At that time, the audition for 'Mr. Trot 2' came up. I left at that timing but got eliminated quickly.'
Kim Sun-keun shared, 'For a while, my revenue was zero. For about 4 to 5 months, nearly six months, I had no income.' He added, 'I am so thankful that sister Jang Yoon-jung gave me 200,000 won. She said, 'Sun-keun, if you leave, there will be times you'll need it.'
Then he reflected, 'I got through that period, but it was unstable and I was short on money, so I also did part-time jobs packing books and unloading deliveries. The longest I did was laundry work. That paid about 100,000 won a day. Physical labor wasn't the problem, but I had to deliver in the early morning, and they didn't tell me the shared password, only writing to call security. If I woke up the security man, he would curse a lot. After finishing work and returning home, I often cried in the car, thinking, 'I lived really hard, but maybe it wasn't hard enough? Did I do something wrong?'
Kim Sun-keun also mentioned that he sometimes thought about returning to KBS. He said, 'You should leave when you have your position. I felt ambiguous. Both the timing and recognition were vague. That's why I ended up ambiguous even after leaving. Think well, or rather, don't think about going freelance.'
Next, in the daily life showcased of Chef Jeong Ji-sun, he visited Chef Kim Hee-eun's restaurant to taste fine dining dishes. Chef Jeong Ji-sun and Chef Kim Hee-eun revealed that they had known each other for ten years, with Chef Kim mentioning, 'I first saw him when he modeled chef uniforms. Everyone was wearing white chef uniforms, but he alone wore a red chef uniform,' recalling Chef Jeong Ji-sun's striking style back then.
Chef Jeong Ji-sun was impressed after tasting Chef Kim Hee-eun's dishes, and he expressed astonishment while observing Chef Kim cooking, saying, 'It has to be that tidy. We are not tidy at all.' Park Myung-soo and Jeon Hyun-moo stated, 'All good cooks are clean. They tidy up while they cook.'
In particular, Chef Jeong Ji-sun was amazed at seeing high-priced dishes. Among them, the most expensive dish was priced at 700,000 won. Chef Jeong Ji-sun reminisced, 'When I broke a plate, it wasn't just one; I broke about 50 to 60 plates.' After tasting the entire course, Chef Jeong Ji-sun stated, 'This year's goal is Chinese fine dining. I thought I should pack the delicateness hidden within the brilliance on a single plate.'
Chef Kim Hee-eun stated, 'In the industry, if the margin rate exceeds 10%, that store is really well run,' revealing that the average margin rate is 5%. When asked about the basis for deficit, Chef Kim Hee-eun replied, 'The expectations are high, so the stress is enormous. The cost of maintaining Michelin status is also tremendous. The maintenance costs are not negligible, either.'
Chef Jeong Ji-sun recalled, 'I often felt envy watching the chefs I met at gatherings. I started cooking out of passion, but since no one taught me, I had to study abroad and struggled there without guidance. It felt like I was continuously facing walls. Even after returning from studying abroad, I couldn't find a job. Most chefs in Chinese cuisine are men, and most of the seniors were elder men. There were people who belittled me, which made it hard to get hired.'
He reported, 'When I first began cooking, I always arrived 1-2 hours early. I questioned if this was the right time; there were many senior chefs. There were instances of being hit with a ladle. They hit your head and would smack you. I was told it was fine. In those days, it wasn't a time where the youngest could complain about being hurt from the seniors. There was a reason they hit me.' He further shared, 'In Chinese cuisine, the noodles are wide. I can't even count how many times I was hit with those. It was really dangerous; if they missed me, they would just hit me. There were many who struck with knives or hit with ladles while I worked.'
In particular, Chef Jeong Ji-sun felt that even the conversations shared during smoking breaks were precious, so he made an effort to step out to smoke with others. He noted, 'I continued the conversation I was having while smoking in the kitchen. I felt alienated, so I went out. But I suffered from asthma for six years.' Hearing this, Kim Suk also shared, 'When I first entered, a male senior was the editor. We all rushed out to brainstorm ideas. The only way to connect was through differentiation.' And anchor Um Ji-in added, 'I was the first female anchor to enter sports news, but there was strong opposition. They said I would take away jobs from male anchors.'
Jeon Hyun-moo recollected on the discrimination faced by female anchors, stating, 'Now, it's nearly nonexistent, but female anchors often leave after getting married.' To this, Um Ji-in confessed, 'Me? I left sports news after getting married.'
The discrimination that Jeong Ji-sun faced was not over yet. He mentioned, 'My hand got caught in a machine, and I had 300 stitches. There was a strong awareness that I was harming the kitchen, so even while stitching, I didn't notice the pain. I only realized I was hurt when I got home. They told me to rest for two months, but I was afraid of being fired, so I remember going to the head chef to say I would work.'
He revealed, 'I was scared of getting fired since I joined the workforce late.' He remarked, 'When I first opened my restaurant, I didn't spread the rumors. The seniors were saying, 'Let's see how well this girl does.' I hated being underestimated just because there was a female owner chef.' Chef Jeong Ji-sun, who was watching this in the studio, displayed tears, evoking sympathy. Jeon Hyun-moo, witnessing this, exclaimed, 'Discrimination must have been really enormous. This is the first time I've seen Jeong Ji-sun cry.' Jeong Ji-sun remarked, 'There were many who spoke quite openly. Many would come and test me. Behind my back, they gossiped.'
[Photo] Broadcast capture
[OSEN=Kim Chae-yeon reporter]