Broadcaster Hong Jin Kyung credited "honesty" as the reason she was able to sustain a successful career in entertainment and business for more than 30 years.
KBS2's Hong Kim Dongjeon and, spiritually, the Netflix Doraiver series. Both programs are among the most dramatically narrated pieces of content recently in South Korea's entertainment scene. A program that had been ended by the old terrestrial standard of poor ratings was revived gloriously on a massive global OTT platform thanks to enthusiastic viewer support and rose to the top.
Hong Kim Dongjeon, which first aired in Jul. 2022, is a variety show that uses the simple concept of "coin flipping" to capture the members' changing fortunes. The fresh yet steady combination of Hong Jin Kyung, Kim Sook, Cho Sae-ho, Joo Woo-jae and Jang Woo-young produced increasingly strong synergy and high buzz with each episode, and as a result an unusually deep fandom formed for a variety program. But low ratings held them back, and the show ended after about a year and a half.
The process strengthened the fandom. Opposing petitions flooded viewer petition boards, and they voiced their opinions with truck protests. Amid the fervent support, Hong Kim Dongjeon moved to Netflix and was spectacularly revived as Doraiver: In Search of the Lost Screw, and within two days of release it rose to No. 1 in the Netflix South Korea TV show institutional sector. It was a clear moment proving how solid the Hong Kim Dongjeon fandom was, and that the content's success was not confined to Nielsen-style rating numbers.
Following Doraiver: In Search of the Lost Screw, the members now meet viewers every Sunday at 5 p.m. with Doraiver: In Search of the Lost Steering Wheel. They continue to deliver laughs with their tight chemistry.
Among them, Hong Jin Kyung anchored the program with a comic sensibility that seemed born with a "laugh spoon". Quick-witted and a daring businessperson, on broadcasts she shows a clumsy charm that contrasts with her serious side, delivering a surprise appeal. She has been praised for turning her shortcomings into laughter and building a unique entertainment persona that provides unpredictable fun in any situation.
Hong Jin Kyung debuted through SBS's second Supermodel Contest in 1993 and has been active not only as a top model but also as a television entertainer and businesswoman. As a businessperson she is meticulous and decisive, while on variety shows her clumsy side creates a contrast. The gap between those sides is barely noticeable.
On the 4th, one day before the Chuseok holiday, Hong Jin Kyung met OSEN at a studio in Paju, Gyeonggi Province and said about this, "Actually, it's all just me. When I'm doing business I try to eliminate being clumsy. It's about numbers, and you can't make mistakes; since it's food people eat, I try to work with my head straight. But even within that, my relationships with people are the same Hong Jin Kyung seen on variety shows. I just want to handle tasks without mistakes, and I can't do everything, so there are experts and I'm the one doing only the knitting. For work I systematize to avoid mistakes, and my relationships are like entertainer Hong Jin Kyung. Personally that's the case, and when working I think I set up good systems," showing a humble side.
Perhaps that's why. Amid the many talk and controversies surrounding celebrities' food businesses, Hong Jin Kyung has continued to succeed without notable scandals. She said, "Because it's a business related to food people eat, that part really gives me neurosis," but Cho Sae-ho, who watched her most closely, said, "How could every brand go perfectly? I tried jumping into the difficult fashion market too, and I learned a lot of responsibility from my sister. But it's still not easy to keep a brand going. That's why Jin Kyung nuna is even more impressive. Especially as a leader, I'm surprised by her execution. I feel business should be run by ambitious people like my nuna," he said.
Hong Jin Kyung always relies on "honesty." She applies honesty to variety shows, business and controversies surrounding her to show sincerity. She said, "I see it as experience. There are things you should let pass quietly, but if something feels like it will follow you for life, I feel I have to step up and finish it. I don't try to explain everything. For the recent series of controversies, I felt I had to wrap it up here somehow. I was very aggrieved, and I think explaining was the right thing. Just covering up the incident doesn't make it go away. So I excised that part. Because it really wasn't true," and added, "When apologizing I try to do it sincerely and do my best to close it. If I make a mistake or cause an incident, my mind is to speak honestly and finish it well."
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