'What do you do when you play?' revived 'The refrigerator of conscience.' The image of a child who grew up watching Lee Kyung-kyu's 'The refrigerator of conscience' becoming a 'conscientious citizen' left a deep impression.
On March 8, MBC's 'What do you do when you play?' (directed by Kim Jin-yong, Lee Joo-won, Wang Jong-seok, Ahn Ji-sun, Bang Seong-su/writer No Min-seon) was decorated with the segment 'Lee Kyung-kyu returns,' and confirmed the hidden consciences that still exist in subways on the roads in 2025. The conscience found in a world that has become harsher than 29 years ago satisfied the emotional, entertaining, and public-interest aspects and garnered a warm response from viewers.
The 2049 viewership rating, a key indicator of the channel's competitiveness and topicality for the episode of 'What do you do when you play?' that aired that day, recorded 2.2%, ranking first among all Saturday entertainment programs. The viewership rating in the metropolitan area was 4.4%. The peak moment in the show was when Lee Kyung-kyu expressed his ambition to return with the revived 'Lee Kyung-kyu goes,' reaching a peak viewership rating of 6.6% per minute. (Nielsen Korea metropolitan area standard)
'Entertainment godfather' Lee Kyung-kyu brought back 'The refrigerator of conscience' as the legendary entertainment program he wants to do again. 'The refrigerator of conscience,' which first aired in 1996, was a segment that sought the protagonist of conscience who abides by the stop line on the road, creating a significant popularity that resonated throughout the nation at the time. Lee Kyung-kyu revealed the behind-the-scenes story, saying, "Initially, it was a TV, not a refrigerator, but I thought, since it's given anyway, let's give a big refrigerator. And I found the meaning of 'putting conscience in the refrigerator means it doesn't rot.'" He self-praised, saying, "These days, when I'm driving, I sometimes cry(?) when the car stops right at the stop line! That is something I created."
Amid this, Joo Woo-jae poked at Lee Kyung-kyu's temper and provoked him. Ultimately, Lee Kyung-kyu shouted, "Didn't I tell you not to come out? Don't speak!" and declared a boycott of Joo Woo-jae. Joo Woo-jae was among the models listed in the '11 individuals on the entertainment blacklist' announced recently by Lee Kyung-kyu. Despite the ban on talking imposed by Lee Kyung-kyu, Joo Woo-jae firmly interjected into the conversation, saying, "To avoid rotting, freezing is right. Refrigeration slightly rots," and Lee Kyung-kyu shouted, "You don't know the meaning of life. Just eat refrigerated food your whole life(?)."
Subsequently, the members were divided into teams on the road and subway to seek out consciences. In line with 2025, they increased the scale and prepared various home appliances as 'conscience appliances.' In the first child protection zone on the road, the goal was to find the protagonist who abides by the stop line in front of the red flashing light, and in the second subway, it was to find the protagonist who brings the wallet (lost item) dropped by the production crew to the lost and found center.
Joo Woo-jae, Lee I-kyung, Park Jin-joo, and Mi-joo began looking for hidden consciences in the bustling subway. Most people thought the owner would arrive to look for the wallet, so they just passed by it. Amid the uncertain wait, a couple discovered a wallet and brought it to the lost and found center. The protagonist of conscience turned out to be an unexpected couple of tourists from Hong Kong (Jacob, Tracy). Moreover, the Hong Kong couple revealed they would donate the item instead of taking a reward, adding warmth to the situation. Touched, Joo Woo-jae said, "My humanity is being recharged a lot" as he showed a moist expression, while Lee I-kyung exclaimed, "I feel like I'm going to cry," and felt moved.
Lee Kyung-kyu, Yoo Jae-suk, and Haha expressed concern that many people might still be unaware that they must stop at the red flashing light. An expert conducted preliminary tests and revealed that only 1 in 50 vehicles stopped. There were instances of speeding vehicles in child protection zones, and vehicles passing by even with pedestrians, increasing the disappointment. At that moment, the first conscientious individual appeared. Park Yoon-sik, the representative of an air conditioning installation company, stated, "I always stop to let children pass by," revealing the conscience he has maintained for a long time. After the recording, Park Yoon-sik also stated he would donate the item to the less fortunate, adding to the emotional impact.
The second conscientious individual, who was expected to be challenging, also showed up. Kim Sa-gon, who runs a cafe, mentioned that he grew up watching Lee Kyung-kyu's 'The refrigerator of conscience.' Lee Kyung-kyu expressed pride, saying, "The children I raised have turned out so well." Yoo Jae-suk was moved by Kim Sa-gon's accurate understanding of the meaning of the red flashing light, exclaiming, "Wow! I was touched." Lee Kyung-kyu stated, "'What do you do when you play?' is truly a great program. I'm very happy to be doing 'The refrigerator of conscience' again," and expressed his ambition, saying, "I am ready anytime on Thursday ('What do you do when you play?' recording day)." Yoo Jae-suk promised to return and confirm that there are still citizens who uphold their consciences in every corner of the street, while Lee Kyung-kyu exclaimed, "Conscience is alive."
Viewers who watched the broadcast responded with enthusiasm, saying, "This episode was necessary in this era and raised awareness," "In a harsh world where we honk just for crossing slowly at crosswalks, how touching it was to meet such individuals. My heart felt so warm," "I didn't know about stopping at red flashing lights. I must be cautious in the future," and "I never imagined the Hong Kong couple. They were so wonderful."
Meanwhile, the preview for the next broadcast showed the members trying to find pairs for 'I go automatically,' raising anticipation. MBC's 'What do you do when you play?' airs every Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
[Photo] MBC 'What do you do when you play?'
[OSEN = Ha Soo-jung reporter]