Comedian Kim Tae-kyun shared his thoughts on happiness.
On the 24th, comedian Kim Tae-kyun appeared as a guest on KBS1's "Morning Forum."
That day, Kim Tae-kyun joked, "In response to the comment, 'You look slimmer,' I said, 'I'm doing performances, a new song is coming out, and I'm releasing a book, so I'm trying to look good by exercising a bit, running a bit lately, and adjusting my diet. I guess the hair that seemed like it wouldn't shrink has actually gotten a bit smaller.'"
About a year ago, he also appeared on 'Morning Forum.' When asked about the response at that time, he said, "Last year, I did my first solo show for my 30th anniversary, and after appearing on Morning Forum, tickets sold out quickly. It was a complete sell-out. And because the word spread that my show was fun, I'm going to go to over 10 cities this year. Thanks to Morning Forum. This week is the start of the Seoul performance, and from then, I'll be touring 12 cities. I'm looking forward to visiting many cities I didn't get to go to last year." He expressed his gratitude, saying, "I've gained many young fans while doing my radio show. After coming to Morning Forum, the audience ranges from teenagers to healthy people in their 90s, making it a performance that spans 80 years."
In response, Kim Jae-won, the announcer, admired, "You're also publishing a book and releasing songs while preparing for performances," and Kim Tae-kyun explained, "I enjoy writing, so my fifth essay collection has come out. The title is interesting: 'How to Become The Man from Nowhere Who People Want to Have Meals With.' Recently, many men are called 'fuddy-duddies' or act like burdens at home. I want to be a man who offers support, not in a nagging or advising way. It's about sharing tips based on my experiences, things I wished I knew. I want to embrace and treat the friends in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who are going through similar paths as I did. I've set the table with my writings based on my experiences and moments that were sweet, salty, or tough."
Lee Kwang-ki was surprised, asking, "Don't you write your own lyrics?" to which Kim Tae-kyun replied, "Yes, I wrote the lyrics myself. The song is called 'Because It Makes You Happy.' The singer Beom-jin composed it. He's the youngest brother of Jin-joo, and he writes really well. When I asked him, he gladly accepted, and I wrote the lyrics. Surprisingly, I've written a lot of lyrics. I can't compose, though. I have a pen name that will surprise you: it's 'Lyric Helper.'" He then added, "A little copyright comes in, but it's not much."
When asked about happiness, he said, "Since my mother passed away 11 years ago, I've started focusing a lot on happiness. My mother left me with her last words: 'Life is too short to be futile. So don't do other things; just do what you love and enjoy living.' After she said that, I focused on happiness. I thought, what do I like? Happiness feels like concentrating on enjoying the moment when I find what I love to do. For example, if I love tteokbokki, I went to find a delicious place to eat tteokbokki. I'd think, 'It's amazing, it's so delicious,' and isn't that where you concentrate? You don't think of anything else. That moment is happiness." Kim Jae-won, the announcer, remarked, "In this moment, Taekyoon has tears in his eyes," feeling sympathy.
He then said, "Isn't writing lyrics 'happiness' in itself? I wonder how the flow goes," to which Kim Tae-kyun shared part of his lyrics: "Darling, please embrace me more than anyone / On lonely days, enjoy the loneliness because it makes you happy." He explained, "You need the courage to love yourself and enjoy loneliness to be happy," and Lee Kwang-gi agreed, saying, "I need to be happy to know someone else's happiness."
Kim Tae-kyun stated, "The most important emotion is happiness. Out of many emotions that humans feel, if I'm happy, it quickly spreads to at least over 100 people. It's not that I'm making someone happy, but if I'm happy, the person next to me naturally becomes happy." He confidently added, "Our performance theme is 'Until You Become Happy.' If you aren't happy, the performance doesn't end. The performance last year ended, right? Everyone left happily."
In particular, he awed the audience by showcasing a shadow performance as a preview. He explained, "I researched this by myself at home." Kim Jae-won, the announcer, asked, "Were you smart since childhood? To come up with such ideas?" Kim Tae-kyun replied, "When I was young, I often heard I was an old soul. My father passed away early, and my mother worked alone, so I spent a lot of time playing by myself. I never thought it was fun back then, and I didn't dream of being a comedian. Originally, I wanted to be a radio DJ. Although I lived through hard times and almost strayed in my youth, the voice of a radio DJ I heard every evening comforted me. It was the warm voice of Lee Moon-sae from 'The Stars Are Bright Tonight.'"
He recounted, "I didn't have my own radio, so I borrowed my older sister's. Then, if viewers send quizzes to 'Family Entertainment Center' and win, they would get an audio set. I think it was when I was in first year of high school that I sent a quiz. I sent it to win the audio, but it didn't get aired. Even after a month, it still hadn't come out. But suddenly, I heard the late Teacher Heo Cham call my name. That problem was a drawing quiz. It was about guessing what was shown when looking down at a toothbrush. I drew it and sent it, and it worked. A white audio set came. It had two cassette decks. That was when my world began. I started nurturing my dreams while listening to the radio. I thought, I want to be a radio DJ. I want to comfort people and make them happy, and I've achieved that dream."
He continued, "I've been living my dream for 20 years, making everyone happy. I thought I just had to do what I liked, but it turned out to be a sense of responsibility. There are quite a few people who lean on me during my broadcasts for two hours a day. Especially, many listeners of 'Cultwo Show' are battling cancer; some even come directly to the show. Before my mother passed away 11 years ago, she battled for two and a half years, although they initially said she would live for only 6 months to a year. I worked hard on my broadcasting because of my mother. At first, it was difficult. When I learned about my mother's illness, I wondered how I could smile and broadcast, but I flipped my perspective. I thought my mother was listening. I tried to make her laugh and, as a result, I put more effort into making my broadcasts enjoyable. Because of that, my mother lived from two and a half years to three years. That leaves me with slightly fewer regrets. Even now, many elderly people are listening, so I strive to ensure my broadcasts are not in vain and that they are entertaining for them."
Kim Jae-won expressed concern, saying, "It's hard to do other things when radio is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.," and Kim Tae-kyun replied, "I haven't been able to do any other programs for 20 years. Weekends are when I can perform. I've been doing 'Hello' for 10 years, and Sundays are when we record. Other than that, I can't do much else." He added, "It's fun to listen to people's concerns and share my stories. That's why I wrote a book. I enjoy communicating."
Then Kim Jae-won remarked, "Aren't you the national mental health doctor for the public?" Kim Tae-kyun explained, "A mother came to the Cultwo Show audience and cried. She said she was struggling, depressed, and wanted to die, but thanks to Kim Tae-kyun, she persevered. However, she mentioned that her psychiatrist advised her to listen to the Cultwo Show, and after doing so, her depression vanished."
When he asked, "Is there a difference between meeting listeners and meeting an audience?" Kim Tae-kyun replied, "Not much of a difference, but I gain a lot of energy through performances. I show everything to the people who come to the venue. I dance, perform, sing hard, and there's a band. There are dancers too, making it varied." He mentioned, "This week is Seoul, and I'll be touring 12 cities until early next year, starting with Changwon on July 19 and Daejeon on August 2. Please support me."
[Photo] KBS1
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