'Salimnam' shared empathy with viewers by looking into the sibling duo Park Seojin's friendship that transcends age with Baek Z Young and Hwanhee's honest feelings as a mother and son.
On the 21st, the KBS 2TV show 'Salimnam' aired, featuring actress Choi Yoon-young as a special guest, and revealed the story of the Park Seojin siblings meeting Baek Z Young after a long time and the first daily life of the new Salimnam member Hwanhee. The broadcast recorded a nationwide Nielsen Korea rating of 6.0%, and the mukbang of 'eating duo' Hyojeong and Baek Z Young and Park Seojin preparing flowers, minhwa and a handwritten letter for Baek Z Young showed the highest rating of 7.1%.
At the opening, singer Hwanhee, who newly joined, also took a seat and drew attention. MC Lee Yo-won said, "It's amazing to meet Hwanhee, who sang the OST 'Even if it breaks my heart...' from the drama he appeared in before," expressing her pleasure. Special guest Choi Yoon-young said she wanted to say on 'Salimnam', "My goal is to marry within three years," but added, "I still don't have a partner," attracting attention. Park Seojin smiled approvingly and began to link Hwanhee and Choi Yoon-young, and Hwanhee asked, "Is this a matchmaking show?", prompting laughter.
In the following VCR, Park Seojin's nationwide tour Ilsan concert site was revealed, and as always, younger sister Hyojeong was in the waiting room with him. Park Seojin heightened curiosity by saying about the special guest invited to the concert, "They have to be really good. Someone who would willingly call me hyung." At that time, former 'Salimnam' MC, singer Baek Z Young, visited the waiting room and the three had a happy reunion. Park Seojin explained the form of address, saying, "Ji-young nuna's personality is so easygoing. Once she called me hyung and told me to keep calling me that." MC and close friend Eun Ji-won agreed, saying, "She's more easygoing than most men. She might be more manly than Brian," which made everyone burst into laughter.
After exchanging recent news, Park Seojin went to prepare for the performance, leaving only the 'Salimnam' mukbang duo Baek Z Young and Hyojeong in the waiting room. Hyojeong, who transformed into a one-day secretary for Baek Z Young, not only brought odeng broth and skewered odeng in a thermos, but also brought homemade napa cabbage kimchi in the kimchi container, drawing attention with her extraordinary 'eating scale.' Touched, Baek Z Young ate a head of kimchi on the spot and joked, "Eating like this doesn't make you fat. It's vegetables," prompting laughter.
As Park Seojin's concert reached its peak, special guest Baek Z Young took the stage. Baek Z Young impressed by delivering an unwavering 'rice power' live after eating a head of kimchi and a bowl of rice. She then expressed her special affection for Park Seojin, saying, "I think it's been just over two years since I got to know Seojin. On the days I went to shoot 'Salimnam', I filmed with the thought of 'How will Seojin make me laugh today, and what can I say to comfort Seojin today?'"
Even late after the concert ended, Baek Z Young stayed with the Park Seojin siblings. Hyojeong, wanting to repay Baek Z Young for always taking good care of the siblings, served a full course of restorative food. Hyojeong insisted, "One person, one menu," by ordering pa-jeon in addition to the main dishes, baeksuk and spicy braised chicken, and Baek Z Young showed her original mukbang goddess side by saying, "Ordering more because it's lacking breaks the flow." Baek Z Young tasted the prepared dishes and said, "I want to experience loss of appetite at least once. When you're sick your appetite comes back more," and Hyojeong agreed, saying, "I don't understand why people don't eat after a breakup," showing their perfect chemistry.
Amid the chaotic mukbang, Park Seojin barely changed the subject and asked Baek Z Young about stage mistakes. Baek Z Young answered, "I don't make many mistakes, but last year I ate love bugs on stage. I think I ate about 20 to 30 of them," shocking everyone, and Park Seojin joked, "No wonder the love bugs disappeared at one point." Hwanhee, sympathizing as a singer, said, "In summer you eat all kinds of insects. They go in through the mouth and out through the nose," delivering MSG talk that made everyone laugh.
At that moment, Park Seojin, who had briefly left saying he was going to the bathroom, soon presented a bouquet and a hand-painted minhwa as a surprise gift, moving Baek Z Young. Park Seojin, who had been comforted by Baek Z Young's warm words and actions, conveyed his layered gratitude in a letter, and Baek Z Young read that sincerity and shed hot tears. Baek Z Young said, "I always hope Seojin's heart doesn't get hurt. There will inevitably be people who write malicious comments, so you have to manage your feelings well," offering heartfelt comfort once more. Park Seojin choked up, saying, "Seeing you cry so moved by a small letter made me tear up too," and the laughter-filled mukbang ended in deep emotion.
Next, the first VCR of Hwanhee, a singer with 28 years since debut and the new Salimnam member, was released. As a member of Fly To The Sky, Hwanhee is recently writing a second heyday with his own genre, 'soul trot,' so there was intense interest in his daily life as well. Hwanhee, whom the production team said they had courted diligently for three years, cited "revealing my private life" as his biggest concern and explained why he hesitated for a long time. In particular, Hwanhee confessed his awkward relationship with his mother, saying, "When I watch 'Salimnam' there are many episodes with family, but I don't talk much with my mother. Often she doesn't reply when I send messages, and she comes to concerts and leaves without greeting."
In the footage shown by the production team, Hwanhee's mother was very different from his testimony. Hwanhee was quite shocked by his mother's lively appearance as she chatted with the production team and did hula hooping. During the conversation, Hwanhee's mother lamented, "I've never even been to Jeju Island once. I don't have a passport," and Hwanhee said, "What did you do with your life?", sounding upset. Hwanhee's mother summarized her exhausting life, saying, "I borrowed money to give my sons everything I could. So I hate meeting people and hate everything." She also showed gratitude to Hwanhee, saying, "Hwanhee provides living expenses. When I'm always apologetic, my son says, 'I'm not even reluctant to spend on mom,'" expressing appreciation for Hwanhee.
After watching the footage, Hwanhee said, "It seems like she poured out to the production team what she wanted to tell me, as if venting. I feel like I should go meet her with this energy," and rushed to see his mother immediately. Hwanhee gauged the distance between mother and son again by ringing the bell instead of entering the password at his mother's front door, and Hwanhee's mother, surprised by her son's unexpected visit, could not hide her discomfort.
Sitting down with his mother, Hwanhee hesitated to bring up what he had planned to say and awkwardly opened the conversation by saying, "I haven't eaten a single meal." When he opened the refrigerator, he found beer and soju and said in surprise, "Do you drink somaek?", and his mother gave a matter-of-fact but lonely answer, "I drink somaek so I can at least sleep a little." Hwanhee said bitterly, "I was curious. I always wondered what she lived for since she doesn't go anywhere or meet friends, and this is the first time I learned she drinks alone," sounding sad.
Hwanhee's mother prepared a heartfelt home-cooked meal but avoided eating at the same table as her son, and Hwanhee revealed, "I don't think we've eaten together in the past 10 years," surprising everyone. Hwanhee's mother confessed, "It's a bit awkward to eat together. Now that I'm older, when I eat something hot I get a runny nose and bits of rice stick around; then I feel a little ugly, so I don't like it," sharing her true feelings.
Once started, the mother and son's conversation continued without stopping. Hwanhee asked why his mother does not travel, and she dismissed it, saying, "I was too poor to even think about travel." Toward the end of the footage, Hwanhee cautiously proposed living together, saying, "I'll move in here, so let's live doing the things you couldn't do," but his mother firmly refused, saying, "I know how you feel, but that's not possible. It's painful to be the head of the household, and I don't want to make you suffer more." Hwanhee promised, "I'll definitely try. I think I need to do something with my mother as soon as possible," foreshadowing his transformation into a devoted son.
This episode of 'Salimnam' delivered warmth with the Park Seojin siblings and Baek Z Young's episode, which grew even closer through deep bonds, and left a lingering impression with Hwanhee's sincere story as he took the first step to get closer to his mother.
Meanwhile, 'Salimnam' airs every Saturday at 9:20 p.m.
[Photo] KBS 2TV 'Salimnam' broadcast capture
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