In 'The Foodie Huh Young-man's Meal Journey,' the nation's MC Jeong Jae-hwan confessed the reason he suddenly disappeared.
On Aug. 31, the 'The Foodie Huh Young-man's Meal Journey' aired on TV CHOSUN, featuring 'original handsome' MC Jeong Jae-hwan grants.
In the 1980s and 1990s, with his charming looks and neat speaking skills, he hosted the signature program 'Youth March.' Along with Shim Hyung-rae, Im Ha-ryong, and Joo Byeong-jin, Jeong Jae-hwan was regarded as the nation's MC of the time. He was like the nation's MC Yoo Jae-suk today. The top MC back then, he noted, "I made an early debut as a comedian and debuted with 'Starry Night.'"
Jeong Jae-hwan, who has appeared in top programs like 'Young 11' and 'March of Youth' with viewership ratings of 70-80%, reached his second peak with 'Youth March.' However, he said he spent a long time in obscurity and noted, "I had financial difficulties," adding, "At that time, the appearance fee per show was 18,000 won. I lived on 72,000 won a month." He struggled through a long period of obscurity, facing hardship due to difficult family circumstances despite his poised gentleman style.
He said, "Baek Cheol-soo told me one day to manage myself while I was popular, saying that I had to paddle when the water rises, and not to oversaturate the program. That's why I couldn't make much money," expressing regret. Huh Young-man noted, "It's a funny yet sad story."
Having suddenly vanished from various TV and radio programs, Jeong Jae-hwan explained, "I realized I didn't know the Korean language well. The language of broadcasting needs to be precise, but I studied Korean very late." Later, he entered Sungkyunkwan University at the age of 40 and spent 10 years teaching, eventually becoming a professor teaching the Korean language. He had made a bold choice to pursue his studies at 40, which led to his sudden disappearance.
Jeong Jae-hwan, who has traversed from MC to comedian to professor, has transformed into a guardian of the Korean language. He said, "The Korean language is truly precious," revealing that he is active as a Hangul activist and added, "I naturally distanced myself from broadcasting," explaining the reason for his busy life.
On that day, having eaten something delicious, he made everyone laugh, saying, "I lived not knowing much about the world."
Meanwhile, Jeong Jae-hwan, an honorary ambassador for Sejong City, is actually known as a comedian-turned-historian. In the past, he appeared on KBS 2FM's 'Park Myung-soo's Radio Show,' where he was introduced as a highly educated figure in comedy. Jeong Jae-hwan, who reportedly spent several hours at the library preparing for each broadcast, said, "I think a lot. I ponder what stories I should tell this week. When the topic is set and I think of a story, I read the materials. I just read up on the materials."
Jeong Jae-hwan said, "If I tell this story, I expect the listeners will like it. But sometimes, there are times when I can't catch a topic," adding, "In those cases, I can't just keep worrying, so I just read various things. Sometimes, there comes a moment when I find something good while reading."
[Photo] 'OSEN DB, Meal Journey'
[OSEN]