Former KBS announcer Lee Hye-sung realized things she had not known during her tenure. Through conversations with senior announcers, she learned the meanings behind experiences she had during her time working in the spotlight due to issues such as the improper receipt of annual leave pay and her public relationship with Jun Hyun-moo.
On the 26th, Lee Hye-sung invited former announcer Kim Jae-won to share her honest past in a video released on her YouTube channel "1% Book Club."
Lee Hye-sung and Kim Jae-won share the commonality of having been KBS announcers. Kim Jae-won joined KBS as a 21st-term announcer in 1995, while Lee Hye-sung joined as a 43rd-term announcer in 2016. Due to the large age and generation gap, they rarely worked closely together during their tenures and only met as freelancers after leaving.
During this time, Lee Hye-sung noted, "I don't think I deeply considered the profession of being an announcer. Rather than focusing on what value I could give to people, I concentrated on personal ambition and personal success." She also expressed regret about not seeking advice or support from her seniors amid her busy work life.
Lee Hye-sung's candid confession starkly contrasted with the unwavering sincerity of announcer Kim Jae-won, providing her with a great revelation. Kim Jae-won described the live broadcast of "Morning Yard" as a "63-minute performance that should not have editing marks," emphasizing that the MC is the ultimate editor. He confessed to waking up at 4:40 a.m. every day and walking across the Mapo Bridge to awaken both body and mind, which Lee Hye-sung realized post-retirement was a fierce effort by the MC to ensure the quality of the broadcast.
In particular, Lee Hye-sung was deeply moved by Kim Jae-won's story about the joy of being a "supporting role." Kim Jae-won expressed satisfaction in living a life that "makes the roses shine brighter as a baby's breath," stating, "I have a role in helping the participants tell their life stories, and the applause I receive in response to those stories belongs to the participants."
The greatest realization for Lee Hye-sung came from the meaning of "service" as described by announcer Kim Jae-won. She confessed her past thoughts of the "underwater relay" conducted at the broadcasting station as "embarrassing and bothersome." However, when Kim Jae-won explained how volunteering for reading books to visually impaired individuals and informing them of upcoming programs, termed "grants," was something deeply valuable and necessary for them, she finally grasped the profound meaning of the work she was doing.
Lee Hye-sung expressed her heartfelt realization that one of the gifts from working at KBS was the opportunity to take away experiences that she could not have felt or experienced at other broadcasting stations, emphasizing the importance of the social role of public broadcasting and the valuable lessons she learned within it.
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