As soon as it was first released, the Coupang Play variety show Kang Ho-dong's bookstore, which is rising to the top of Coupang Play's popular works and generating buzz, in episode 3 released on the 20th (Fri) unfolded a heated story about the world of competition together with Kang Ho-dong's 'attached younger brother' Kim Dong-hyun.
Kang Ho-dong's bookstore is a talk show in which the loud-voiced but soft-hearted INFP bookstore owner "Hocrates" (Kang Ho-dong) unfolds each other's lives and shares honest stories with customers who visit the bookstore.
Kim Dong-hyun, who lived his life as a fighter, captivated viewers by honestly revealing his dramatic life story from a childhood like a greenhouse plant to the present, where he is noted for his 'Dong-hyun-like thinking.' In particular, while showing a perfect 'athlete chemistry' with "Hocrates" Kang Ho-dong, a former national strongman, he devastated the set with unpredictable wit, including suddenly confessing to cosmetic procedures.
After introducing the book "The Marshmallow Story," which helped him endure his unknown days, Kim Dong-hyun knocked down Kang Ho-dong by telling "Hocrates," who was about to start the full talk, "Haven't I said everything I needed to say?" The quirky charm unique to Kim Dong-hyun, which even made veteran Kang Ho-dong grab the back of his neck, elicited an explosive response from viewers.
Behind the unpredictable laughter came a weighty emotion. Kim Dong-hyun confessed that he started martial arts to overcome school violence during his school years, revealing a "dream notebook" toward the UFC that he wrote himself in high school and his self-published "Kim Dong-hyun's mental class," showing his side as 'author Kim Dong-hyun' beyond being a fighter.
He revealed his conviction as a fighter, "win or learn," and recounted behind-the-scenes stories about nicknames such as "domestic nogeira," "stun gun," and "Maemi Kim," along with the record of becoming the first Korean to reach No. 6 in the UFC welterweight world rankings, which drew bursts of laughter. Regarding the first KO loss to Carlos Condit that became a topic of conversation, he surprised everyone with his 'Dong-hyun-like thinking' by saying, "I don't remember it at all, so it didn't hurt. I wonder why I was afraid." His confession that he faced fear head-on with a firm will—"let's do our best while we're sane"—moved even Kang Ho-dong to choke up and left a deep impression.
In this way, Kim Dong-hyun completed a meaningful time by retracing the footsteps he has walked as a fighter. The intense kinship of the two men, who are walking a second life from athletes to entertainers, imprinted Kim Dong-hyun's new charm and left viewers with a deep aftertaste.
[Photo] Coupang Play
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