Former KBS announcer Kim Jae-won shared his story.
On the 26th, a video titled 'The secret to life discovered by a 30-year veteran broadcaster who interviewed 10,000 people' was released on the YouTube channel 'Weiracle'.
In the video, Park Wi invited former KBS announcer Kim Jae-won as a passenger in a Weiracle taxi. Kim Jae-won expressed excitement, asking, 'Is a miracle happening in my life now?' and stated he came to settle his retirement pay from his previous job at KBS, saying, 'I boarded from my past, so please take me to the future. I don't know the destination.' Park Wi asked, 'Will you return to KBS in the future?' to which Kim Jae-won replied, 'Please drop me off in my future, containing my wishes.'
Park Wi has appeared on 'Morning Yard' three times. Kim Jae-won said, 'You appeared even before you became famous. The writer of 'Tuesday Guest Seat' discovered and nurtured Park Wi.' Park Wi noted, 'I can never forget the first impression. I was anxiously waiting in the waiting room for the first time, and when you arrived, you spoke with such courtesy that it melted my heart. I'm doing a small talk show and trying to adopt that attitude thinking of Kim Jae-won.' Kim Jae-won mentioned, 'Last month, I left KBS, and this is my first schedule since leaving 'Morning Yard'. I hadn't realized it, but I was anxious, and the moment I took a taxi, I felt so comfortable. Is this a small miracle?'
Kim Jae-won surprised everyone with his departure from 'Morning Yard'. Regarding various controversies, he said, 'I was also surprised. Various videos, including all sorts of trivial fake news, popped up. It was said that I received a severance package worth tens of billions, that I was a billionaire, and that I had opened a coffee shop on an island. However, it was a voluntary resignation. I was one year away from mandatory retirement, but I thought I should step into the wide world first, and the severance pay is not much. I even received a mid-settlement during my study abroad, so the amount is very small.'
After joining KBS as a public announcer in 1995, Kim Jae-won hosted numerous programs, including KBS News and '6 PM My Hometown'. He said, 'My childhood dream was to be an announcer, but during my adolescence, I realized difficulties and went to study in the U.S. I had to rush back when my father, who was living alone, fell ill, and by chance, an opportunity opened for me to become an announcer.' He added, 'I went to the U.S. to study accounting. The interviewer asked how I would connect my major with the profession of an announcer, so I explained that accounting is the discipline of organizing and analyzing information so that users can easily understand it; therefore, I will neatly organize and convey the information that viewers want as an announcer. The interviewer said my eloquence was impressive, and I passed.'
Park Wi talked about the legendary '6 PM My Hometown' clip of Kim Jae-won. During a live broadcast, the chair kept lowering, making it hard for him to contain his laughter. Kim Jae-won said, 'As usual, I finished well, and since I had the '7 PM News', I had to wrap up the program on time. While delivering my final comments after watching the last video, my chair suddenly dropped. When I turned my head slightly to say my thoughts, I noticed the female MC was above me. She cleverly added some humor, which resulted in a 100-second video. In just one night, it gathered 2 million views, and there were various responses, including laughter in multiple foreign languages, with foreign subscribers giving me the nickname 'Olaf.'
Kim Jae-won described his first impression of Park Wi as 'a truly pure and clear young man.' He noted, 'It wasn't merely bright; it was clear. However, you chose a clear spouse. Both Park Wi and Song Ji-eun are top-class in clarity, which I appreciate.' Park Wi mentioned, 'When I recently appeared, you told me the word 'self-satisfaction' which I can never forget.' Kim Jae-won added, 'While the whole world shouts self-esteem, I believe true self-esteem comes from self-satisfaction. Feeling satisfied with my situation—last month, after leaving the company, I traveled, and on Sunday night, I felt empty thinking I didn't have a place to go. I realized I had been neglecting the power of the word self-satisfaction. That was a great consolation.'
After leaving KBS, Kim Jae-won traveled to Porto, Portugal. He remarked, 'It's famous for its sunsets, but just because the sun has set doesn't mean everything around turns dark. Under the bright light, the sunset makes the day even more beautiful. On the opposite side, the moon rises. Watching how the moonlight beautifies the surroundings made me realize that leaving a job I had for over 30 years doesn't mean my life instantly turns dark, and that my life's sunset is making now more beautiful, while the moonlight rising on the opposite side will illuminate my life, turning it into a more beautiful flower path.'
Having hosted 'Morning Yard' live for 12 years, Kim Jae-won expressed, 'I am approaching the 10,000th episode in early October, having opened the morning show for 3,300 days. This means over 10,000 participants. While Park Wi is the most memorable, an unforgettable experience is with the protagonist of the documentary film 'The Snail's Star', Pastor Cho Young-chan and his wife, Kim Soon-ho. Mrs. Kim has a physical disability, and Pastor Cho has visual and auditory impairments. They questioned how they could broadcast without being able to see or hear, sparking significant conversations. The two communicate using sign language. When we input our story in Braille, Pastor Cho can read the language converted into Braille and provide responses, facilitating the broadcast through several procedures. I learned sign language to say 'I love you' and realized that no impossible communication exists in a live broadcast. What seems to us as immense deficiencies was not viewed as deficiencies by them; they accepted their circumstances as they are and delivered messages in their situations, reminding us that the small and big deficiencies we perceive cannot hinder our lives but rather that we may be thinking of them as obstacles.'
Living in Mapo Gongdeok and commuting to KBS on foot, Kim Jae-won shared, 'I used to wake up at 4:40 a.m. and leave home around 5:20 a.m., arriving by 6 a.m. I wanted to live each day like a journey. It was about departing from home and returning to it while capturing the surrounding scenery. For a live broadcast, my body, mind, mouth, and tongue must be alert. My brain must be active for speech to come out properly. Waking up early does not automatically awaken the brain, so I chose to walk to work, and in doing so, my body and mind woke up.'
Kim Jae-won stated, 'There are no days when I don't want to get up. But there aren't even a single day in a year like that. I occasionally ventured outside my daily routine. Even though I have to go out early tomorrow for a broadcast, I sometimes indulge in watching an incredibly interesting drama until dawn.' He laughed and also shared about his last commute home, saying, 'I intended to walk home on my last day. On my last broadcast, so many people gave me gifts that I ended up taking a ride with a fellow announcer to get home. I was truly grateful. Countless viewers encouraged and supported me, making me wonder if I deserved such overwhelming love. Perhaps it was a day when I felt more love than during my wedding or at the funeral I will someday experience.'
Kim Jae-won revealed that he and his wife fight differently. He stated, 'It is a misconception to say we have never had a fight as a couple. When difficult times come, we often enter a stage of silence instead. After some time, it naturally resolves, and we return to our daily lives. We know well who is at fault, but that feeling of apology is conveyed through our everyday lives, which allows us to understand each other without the need for verbal conflict. However, good communication in a marriage often indicates that one side is sacrificing. But that sacrifice brings joy and pleasure. I deeply feel my wife's sacrifices and concessions when we travel together, where unexpected situations frequently arise, yet there are no complaints. We strive to endure those moments together. Even when it was time for significant decisions in life, my wife always maintained such an attitude. When I quit my job, she encouraged me by saying, 'You have worked hard, and although an unfamiliar world will unfold, it will certainly be a world worth looking forward to, so let's walk together.' Life is a journey, and my wife is the best travel companion.'
Kim Jae-won added, 'There is no life without waves. Whether in someone else's life or your own, waves crash. If you are concerned that only waves are crashing on you, know that they are just there. The question is your reaction. Will your feet be stuck before the waves, or will you ride over them? If you have a wife who holds your hand and climbs over them, then you go together; even if your feet are stuck, that time spent together with your wife for another day or two will bring a different happiness.'
Kim Jae-won has authored a total of four books so far. Regarding his recently released book 'Mother's Face', he shared, 'When my mother passed away when I was 13, I just went on with my life. But upon marrying at 28, my mother-in-law took on the motherly role, and I thought, 'My mother-in-law is like another mother to me.' However, when my mother-in-law passed away one winter, I felt a void. Seeing my wife and sisters-in-law mourning and recalling stories about my mother, I realized, 'I haven't mourned my mother who passed away 45 years ago enough.' I thought it was time to show my long-overdue mourning, and that became 'Mother's Face.' I believe many around me who have read it confessed they haven't mourned adequately either. It is significant in terms of articulating the pent-up emotions that need to be resolved, and I hope 'Mother's Face' can exert a positive influence.'
Returning to KBS after leaving in a taxi driven by Park Wi, Kim Jae-won stated, 'I took out a blank canvas. I prepared the colors and crayons learned from the school of KBS for the past 30 years and the school of 'Morning Yard' for the last 12 years. I plan to paint on this blank canvas, though I don't know what the painting will be like. I hope that God will paint with me as the crayon and oil paint. No matter what field I end up in, I want to make a positive impact and provide warmth and comfort.' Moreover, Kim Jae-won expressed to viewers, 'Even while hosting for 12 years, I didn't realize how much you loved me. As I leave that position, I have come to value your love dearly. I will read your comments thoroughly and endeavor to deliver the warmth and positive influence you've shown me in this wide world.'
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