KBS2's 'The Boss's Ears Are Donkey Ears' featured the adorable grandson of Im Chae-moo, who is vying to be the successor of "debtland," showing a lovable and spunky charm.
The KBS2 variety show 'The Boss's Ears Are Donkey Ears' (directed by Ahn Sang-eun, hereafter "Donkey Ears"), episode 329, which aired on Sunday, Oct. 2, recorded a peak rating of 6.5%, continuing its streak as the No. 1 variety show in its time slot for 178 consecutive weeks, according to Nielsen Korea.
On the broadcast that day, Im Chae-moo's grandson and Im Go-woon Deputy Minister's son, Shim Ji-won, appeared and drew attention. Shim Ji-won began by suggesting that the flooring in the block room on the second floor of "debtland" was slightly shaky, and saying it could be somewhat dangerous when children ride sleds, he personally rode a sled down and actively inspected the facilities, making Im Chae-moo beam.
Afterward, Im Chae-moo went with his grandson Shim Ji-won and Im Go-woon Deputy Minister to a reptile specialty shop to buy a new animal to welcome to "debtland." There, rapper Outsider greeted the family, arousing curiosity. In addition to being the first entertainer appointed as an ambassador for amphibians and reptiles, Outsider was living a second life as a full-time professor in the special animal department. Outsider recommended animals likely to capture visitors' hearts, including the green basilisk, the tegu, and the Aldabra giant tortoise. When Outsider said the price for the largest tortoise ranged from 150 million won to about 200 million won, Im Chae-moo laughed and said, "These guys are more expensive than my price," adding, "I should go to Africa and catch them myself."
After viewing various animals, Im Chae-moo and the staff went to eat baeksuk and enjoyed the food while chatting warmly. When Shim Ji-won said his dream was to become an actor, Im Go-woon Deputy Minister said, "Being an actor is a really difficult profession. When I was young, before filming my father couldn't lie down comfortably and sleep, and he couldn't drink water freely," expressing regret that "he was so busy that my father was never in my graduation photos." Hearing that, Im Chae-moo said, "When my child was young I was so busy working that there really wasn't time to be together. I regret being neglectful as a father," which moved viewers.
Shim Ji-won also revealed ambitions to become the successor of "debtland," drawing laughs. Shim Ji-won asked Im Chae-moo, "How long will you operate debtland?" and Im Chae-moo replied, "I want to operate it for 25 more years." To that, Shim Ji-won bluntly asked, "Will you pass it on to me?" Im Chae-moo responded, "I don't hand things down. If you want to achieve something, you must earn it through effort. It's hard to sustain something that's inherited," revealing a firm management philosophy that moved viewers.
For a Korean language special lecture, Jun Hyun-moo, Eom Ji-in, Heo Yoo-won and Jung Ho-young headed to Türkiye and had the honor of appearing on the program "With Alishan, the smile of life," hosted by Alishan, known as the national MC there. Especially Jun Hyun-moo showed an overwhelming dance from the moment he appeared and, while introducing himself, joked, "I'm as hairy as Turkish men," baring his chest hair and provoking laughter. While Jung Ho-young presented "lamb pork bulgogi," which combines mutton with Korean spiciness, the spicy-pride showdown between Turkish national MC Alishan and Korea's national MC Jun Hyun-moo drew attention. Jun Hyun-moo grabbed a Samanda pepper from Türkiye, said to be three to five times hotter than cheongyang peppers, and after saying "It's spicy but bearable," he performed a shuddering dance that humorously transcended the heat.
After safely finishing the live broadcast and even completing a night run, Jun Hyun-moo and Jung Ho-young sought to shake off fatigue by visiting Türkiye's traditional bath, the hammam. After briefly enjoying the warm sauna, Jun Hyun-moo and Jung Ho-young began receiving traditional scrub treatments from uniquely sturdy attendants. The attendants performed a "spicy hands massage" that beat Jun Hyun-moo and Jung Ho-young's bodies mercilessly, and used advanced techniques such as rotating their soap-lathered bodies 360 degrees continuously, leaving the two nearly breathless. Jun Hyun-moo said, "It wasn't as painful as I thought and it felt really refreshing. If there were a place like this in Korea, I'd come twice a week," expressing satisfaction with the spicy hands massage.
K-ANAZ and Jung Ho-young were invited to the wedding of a friend of Hassan, who served as the coordinator in Türkiye, and attended the event. The four, who had prepared gold coins in advance as a gift for the bride and groom, sang "Amor Fati" as a celebratory song, blessing the future and spreading Korean exuberance.
Meanwhile, Hwang Hee-tae, the judo national team coach, drew attention by preparing another "hellish training" for the athletes. Gathered in the weight training room, the judo national team athletes repeatedly did rope, dumbbell and upper and lower abdominal exercises, diligently preparing for medals. As the athletes grew a bit tired, Coach Hwang Hee-tae said, "When I was an athlete, I did 20 abdominal exercises without resting even once." Jun Hyun-moo and Park Myung-soo then joked, "Don't just say that—submit proof video," engaging in banter with Coach Hwang that provoked laughter.
As the intensity of the workout increased and the athletes struggled, Coach Hwang Hee-tae suggested an impromptu contest. Athlete Song Min-ki held a 45 kg dumbbell in each hand, and Coach Hwang held 52 kg dumbbells, and the contest was to be won by whoever completed the turnaround fastest. The athletes stipulated that if Song Min-ki won, they would end the training immediately. But Coach Hwang, carrying a total of 104 kg in dumbbells, comfortably won, displaying undiminished stamina. Coach Hwang amused viewers by showing his "old soldier never dies" attitude, revealing his side as a dispenser of memorable sayings.
After the tough training, Coach Hwang Hee-tae prepared beef worth about 4 million won for his pupils. He encouraged the athletes, saying, "The 2026 Asian Games are not far away; I hope you eat well, stay strong and achieve good results," creating a warm atmosphere.
Broadcast every Sunday at 4:40 p.m. on KBS 2TV.
[Photo] 'The Boss's Ears Are Donkey Ears'
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