'Salim-nam' offered pleasant laughs through the story of siblings Park Seo-jin who went to a fasting center and Lee Yo-won's sincere appearance, who revealed her daily life for the first time since her debut.
On the 28th of last month, KBS 2TV's 'Salim-nam' featured STAYC Yun as a special guest, revealing the hilarious fasting center episode of siblings Park Seo-jin and younger sister Hyo-jung and MC Lee Yo-won's candid, down-to-earth daily life as she switched into mom mode. The episode recorded a nationwide Nielsen Korea rating of 5.2%, and the scene in which Hyo-jung tried to escape while Park Seo-jin was in the restroom and Cho Hye-lyeon arrived to help Hyo-jung with her diet posted the program's highest rating of 6.3%.
In the opening, Lee Yo-won grabbed attention by telling STAYC Yun, "I heard you are a senior on 'Salim-nam' compared to Park Seo-jin." Yun said, "Previously, in Hyun Jin-young senior's episode, we revealed STAYC's practice room household," and expressed the hope, "If 'Salim-nyeo' is possible later, I'd like to appear."
In the following VCR, Park Seo-jin arrived at the fasting center with her younger sister Hyo-jung. Thinking they were going to a campground, Hyo-jung had packed lots of food and luggage, tried desperately to run away but was quickly caught, and vented, "Why did you trick me into going to a fasting center?" Park Seo-jin said, "My sister's health is not good right now. We've tried many things, but this time we may need a strong measure," and decided to accompany Hyo-jung into the fasting center.
Before admission, the two had an interview with the fasting center director. First, writing down their five-year highest and lowest weights, Park Seo-jin listed 72kg and 59kg, and Hyo-jung listed 85kg and 65kg, prompting the director to joke, "Have your weights been swapped?" The director then checked for any uncomfortable symptoms in their bodies, and Hyo-jung revealed that, in addition to chronic hives, she had previously been diagnosed at a hospital with hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, early-stage diabetes, and arthritis.
Next came body composition measurement. The results showed Hyo-jung needed to lose about 20kg to reach an appropriate weight, and her body fat percentage was even higher than that of a menopausal woman, which shocked everyone. Hyo-jung insisted, "I'm on the shorter side. There are many foods I can't eat, and I have allergies, so I eat a limited range of foods," and Park Seo-jin exposed, "Don't lie. You have allergies, but you take allergy medicine and then eat those foods."
After the interview, the two were finally assigned a room, and the director began an unannounced luggage inspection. At that time, Hyo-jung provoked laughter by stuffing a sausage into a toilet paper roll and bringing bananas by the bunch. Snacks, ramen and various treats kept appearing from Hyo-jung's luggage, and eventually rice and samgyeopsal were discovered. The surprised director confiscated all of Hyo-jung's food, saying, "This is completely a binge center. In the 35-year history of this fasting center, no one has brought this much food."
At the fasting center, the only permitted sustenance for the two was 2 liters of saline each. With the mindset that if they couldn't avoid it they should enjoy it, the two held a contest to see who could drink the saline fastest. Trying to suppress gagging, Hyo-jung ultimately spat out the water and the contest ended with Park Seo-jin's victory. Regardless of the contest result, sadness overwhelmed Hyo-jung, who cried, "I won't eat food anymore."
Three hours after entering the fasting center, a bowel-cleaning time reminiscent of a colonoscopy began, and the two rushed to and from the bathroom. While Park Seo-jin was in the restroom, Hyo-jung said, "If I run now, I'll survive," bolted away, and even ate a hidden sausage in a frenzy. Sensing Hyo-jung had escaped, Park Seo-jin found the hiding Hyo-jung and her escape plan failed.
After small and large commotions, the siblings, seven hours into the fast, met diet instructor Cho Hye-lyeon. Entering the training hall with energetic shouts, Cho Hye-lyeon greeted them with nimble boxing moves, emitting energy that impressed everyone despite being 57 years old. Cho Hye-lyeon then tested basic fitness, praising Hyo-jung's solid lower-body muscles and powerful punches and instilling positive energy.
After warming up, the three started taebo-style exercise combining boxing and taekwondo moves to Jekskis's 'The path a man takes (subtitle: pomsengpomsa)'. After taebo, Cho Hye-lyeon encouraged Hyo-jung, saying, "Seeing her today, Hyo-jung has grit. She seems like someone who can endure any situation." At one point, Cho Hye-lyeon suddenly egged on Park Seo-jin, "How much will you give if you make her lose weight?" and Park Seo-jin retorted, "Why should I give money to help her lose weight?" Cho Hye-lyeon asked Hyo-jung again, "How much to lose 20kg?" and Hyo-jung joked, "About one car?" making everyone laugh. Afterwards Hyo-jung resolved, "With Cho Hye-lyeon coming, I have motivation and willpower. I must diet within six months."
This time, 'Salim-nam' house matron Lee Yo-won attracted attention by revealing her home and daily life for the first time in 29 years since her debut. Especially before the VCR was shown, actor Rhee Minjung and Lee Byung-hun were announced to make a surprise appearance, stirring the studio, and Park Seo-jin quipped, "Isn't it too much to invite them for the first VCR?" making the set burst into laughter.
In the main VCR, Lee Yo-won drew interest by showing for the first time her youngest fifth-grade son, who resembles Park Bo Gum, and her second daughter, who resembles Lee Yo-won. Her son, active on a youth basketball team, had a basketball tournament the next day, and Lee Yo-won showed her "enthusiastic mom" side as she packed the items needed for the 2 Days & 1 Night schedule herself. When attention turned to the identity of the person who displayed high-level filming skills, Lee Yo-won said, "My second child filmed it," revealing the second daughter who took the filming seriously. When the first and second children were mentioned, STAYC Yun asked Lee Yo-won's eldest daughter's age, and Lee Yo-won said, "The eldest was born in 2003." When Yun, born in 2004, expressed surprise, Park Seo-jin said, "I'll have to call you mom," making the set erupt in laughter.
Seeing Lee Yo-won finish packing at high speed, her son said, "If you film for 30 minutes, it'll come out as about 3 minutes," checking his mother's screen time with an unusual sense. Park Seo-jin marveled, "I thought he was a PD." Afterwards Lee Yo-won continued the house tour and showed off her collected toy collection, revealing a quaint taste different from her usual easygoing image and adding a charming twist. While packing a snack bag with her son, Yo-won revealed the long-veiled contents of her refrigerator. Seeing the refrigerator stocked mostly with fruit, Yun exclaimed, "There's only fruit?" in surprise.
The next day, Lee Yo-won packed her son's 2 Days & 1 Night items and drove directly to Jecheon, where the arena is located. In the car, her son again checked her screen time, saying, "Mom, aren't you too quiet?" and criticized, "That's why you're not good as an MC," making the five-month veteran MC Lee Yo-won break into a sweat. During this time, Lee Yo-won's son made a bombshell remark, "I want a younger sibling," which drew attention. But Lee Yo-won drew a line, saying, "I can't give birth anymore." Eun Ji-won and Park Seo-jin egged her on, saying, "Have one more" and "She wants it so much," and "Try it," but Lee Yo-won waved her hand, saying a fourth child would be difficult.
Lee Yo-won and the group arrived at their destination, the basketball arena. There, Rhee Minjung, a parent from the same youth basketball team, appeared, and her husband, top actor Lee Byung-hun, also joined, drawing attention. To watch his son's game, Lee Byung-hun rushed to Jecheon and showed a tender side, saying, "I am Jun-hoo's father." Afterwards Rhee Minjung sat next to Lee Yo-won and chatted about various topics. Rhee Minjung made a surprising remark, "When Sechs Kies was at the height of their popularity, I had a dream in which Eun Ji-won appeared as my boyfriend. After dreaming that, I liked him," and playfully checked, "But isn't Lee Byung-hun not here?" drawing laughter.
With the mothers' cheers, the children's basketball game began and the parents focused on watching the match. Earlier, Lee Yo-won and Rhee Minjung had shown a cool attitude, saying, "The kids' condition and luck are important," and, "It's kids' games, so sometimes they win and sometimes they lose," but when the game started they jumped up from their seats, cheered at the top of their lungs and moved with the game, becoming comically overinvested and providing big laughs until the end.
In this episode of 'Salim-nam', the siblings Park Seo-jin once again showed realistic sibling chemistry through the fasting center episode, and Lee Yo-won, not as an actress but as "Mom Lee Yo-won," showed her unvarnished self and formed an emotional connection with viewers.
Meanwhile, 'Salim-nam' airs every Saturday night at 9:20 p.m.
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