Actor Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-kyu transform into managers who closely care for stars and struggle to do so.
On the 2nd, a press conference for SBS's new variety program 내겐 너무 까칠한 매니저-비서진 (hereafter 비서진) was held at Masil community house in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Kim Jung-wook PD and actors Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-kyu attended the event.
비서진 is a real road talk show in which Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-kyu transform into "daily managers" and closely care for a star's day. The prickly caregiver Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-kyu will disarm the stars, and viewers can look forward to glimpsing the unfiltered sides of stars that can never be seen unless they are managers.
Kim Jung-wook PD, who directed the show, said, "Lee Seo-jin himself has an element of unpredictability and he says he finds it fun, but for that to happen the production team must not interfere too much. So we deliberately did not interfere to let the unexpected happen," and added, "The bickering chemistry between Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-kyu is genuine. It's to the point where guests want to break out of themselves, but the production team feels like parents fighting. A viewing point is that when they think deeply, it's only each other. They never come to work in good condition. They come like that and by the afternoon their energy is gone and reverse caregiving starts. The contradictory situations will be entertaining. There's also humor from the generation gap — they couldn't recite 'hambugi' to the end. There are small laugh points."
The program title was borrowed from Lee Seo-jin's name. In response, Kim Kwang-kyu said, "When I heard we were 2MCs I thought I might rise to be an MC like Jun Hyun-moo, but because it's called 비서진 I wondered if I was only a sub. I felt a little hurt and suggested it to the PD, and he comforted me by putting the hanja character '광' in the logo." Kim Jung-wook PD explained, "We talked a lot about naming, but 비서진 stuck the most and it seemed Lee Seo-jin liked it. It turned out Kim Kwang-kyu felt more hurt than expected, so he mentioned it four times and we decided to add '광'."
Lee Seo-jin, a representative "multi secretary" in the entertainment industry, has a dazzling resume that includes studying business at New York University, serving as a deputy minister at an asset management firm, and holding a recreational boating license, and he also brings 26 years of acting experience with finely tuned empathy. Having already been recognized as a caregiving master through travel variety shows, attention is already focused on the detailed care he will show on this program 비서진.
Lee Seo-jin, who already showed his qualities as a professional caregiver through shows like 꽃보다 할배, said, "I don't like being cared for. I don't like someone caring for me or me caring for someone, but since the show's concept is managers I'm trying hard. How well will I do? Guests often take care of us more. So we sometimes end up being cared for, and I'm making an effort, but Kim Kwang-kyu doesn't do much. Because he doesn't lead by example, I end up making him do a lot," he laughed.
Lee Seo-jin said, "There were almost only things I couldn't do. I had to do them, though, and as seen in the preview, Lee Su-ji ate sundae guk while on the move. I worried because eating hot food in a car is dangerous, but she asked me to drink the broth. It wasn't easy and I didn't want to, but I drank it to the point of burning the roof of my mouth so she wouldn't get hurt. It tasted good."
Especially, Lee Seo-jin reflected, "After trying to be a manager I realized I need to be young. Both Kim Kwang-kyu and I are in our 50s, so it's physically difficult. Even after just half a day we get exhausted and need to rest. Care is important, but if you don't have the stamina, nothing else works."
Kim Kwang-kyu, who works in tandem with Lee Seo-jin, is a hands-on character who has worked as a nightclub waiter, sales rep and taxi driver. With his characteristic friendly and pleasant energy as a weapon, he is expected to show the reliable side of a "professional driving secretary" wherever they go. The everyday caregiving chemistry the two veterans create is a must-see.
Kim Kwang-kyu said, "When I put myself in others' shoes, I thought I should cut down on nitpicking while driving. I have a fixed notion that I hate the third lane the most, so I nagged a bit, but when the stars pointed out my driving I became stiff. Seeing Lee Seo-jin grumble made me even stiffer, and it made me think I should nag my own manager less."
Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-kyu are close friends of 20 years; they previously delivered cheerful laughs with their unique chemistry on shows like 삼시세끼 and plan to bring out stars' hidden, unfiltered sides by leaning on the long-standing bickering bro-mance they have built over many years.
Kim Jung-wook PD explained why he cast Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-kyu: "Since 꽃보다 할배, they've done a lot of caregiving for older people. Because caregiving is far from their usual image, it seemed like it would be interesting, and while elders could appear, I thought they might do well caring for much younger people, people with a big generational gap, or idols. There is a talk skill that only people who see Lee Seo-jin often would know. It won't shine in a standardized talk show; unexpected answers and situations that come out when they're not conscious of the camera make it a format that fits very well."
Lee Seo-jin said, "Kim Kwang-kyu is like a painful little toe to me. I kept bringing him into dramas and variety shows. I even brought him to this meeting." Kim Kwang-kyu replied, "It's partly true so I don't want to deny it. I don't understand him saying it about himself. Maybe because he studied in the U.S. and is open-minded, he doesn't fit in the Dongbang. He gets obsessed and wants to take someone with him, but since I have my own role I wouldn't be taken along otherwise. But because I don't know where Lee Seo-jin will go off to, I have to keep things in order. My caregiving is necessary."
Lee Seo-jin evaluated Kim Kwang-kyu, saying, "By my standards he's far off. He can't do two things at once and other than driving there's almost nothing he does. Even with taxi experience, his driving is clumsy. While accompanying me he gets nagged a lot by the stars." Kim Kwang-kyu said, "We've filmed about four times, and we should be closely caring for and serving the stars, but I'm serving Lee Seo-jin, so I'm finding my identity. My motto is to be an easygoing, comfortable manager, but Lee Seo-jin has a princely image so it's burdensome. Because I'm easygoing I get scolded and nagged. He does things he can't do to me, so I end up smoothing things over. Seeing Lee Seo-jin lead with his NYU business background, I'd give that a 9 out of 10. On the other hand, I think I make people feel at ease."
Despite that, the two are close. Kim Kwang-kyu said of Lee Seo-jin, "I think of him as a lifelong companion. When we're together we fight, I get mad and he keeps picking at me so I feel resentful, but when I go home I think about him again." Lee Seo-jin said, "He's a companion I don't want to accompany."
The stars they will serve include comedian Lee Su-ji, and actors Sunwoo Yong-yeo, Uhm Ji-won, Jang Ki-yong and Ahn Eun-jin. Lee Seo-jin said, "Except for senior Sunwoo Yong-yeo, I didn't know most of them. I had no idea about Lee Su-ji's sub-character and watching it was overwhelming and hard to handle. Young people like Ahn Eun-jin and Jang Ki-yong made me think I was like that when I was young. Visiting a drama set made me look back on my past. I met Uhm Ji-won for the first time and despite her age she had high energy and a lot of lovely qualities. Sunwoo Yong-yeo was the same as usual, but she scolded Kim Kwang-kyu a lot and was very affectionate toward me, which I liked."
Lee Seo-jin said, "I hope there's unpredictability in guest casting. It would be more fun if unknown people appeared. Kim Kwang-kyu talks about girl groups and really wants to invite Jang Won-young. I don't know how we'd get her." Kim Kwang-kyu said, "I don't necessarily insist on girl groups; I think viewers might want them. Boy groups would be fine too. GOT7 would be good and Dongbangshin-gi would be good." He also said he would like to serve Jang Won-young and Jennie, drawing laughter.
In closing, Lee Seo-jin said, "We're up against Home Alone and I don't know if we're in our right minds. It seems hard to beat it, but I hope we survive and it goes well." Kim Kwang-kyu, a Home Alone alumnus, said, "I was a major contributor to Home Alone. Lee Seo-jin always says it failed, but whenever he says that it actually did well. So it doesn't feel bad, and surprisingly the ratings could explode."
SBS's new variety program 내겐 너무 까칠한 매니저-비서진 premieres on the 3rd at 9:50 p.m.
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