On TV CHOSUN's hyperrealistic documentary variety show 'Matchmaker of Joseon', Hong Seok-cheon planned an unprecedented invitation-card gathering to announce his daughter's marriage. Also, Lee Sang-mi, beloved as Gaeddong's mother from the drama 'Country Diary', surprised viewers by going on a blind date with comedian Oh Ji-heon's father.
On the March 23 (Mon) broadcast of 'Matchmaker of Joseon', Hong Seok-cheon, who turned 55, planned to announce his daughter's marriage at the end of the birthday party he decided to hold with an awards ceremony concept. About the awards-style invitation-card gathering combined with a birthday party, which would have as many as 200 guests, Hong Seok-cheon expressed regret, saying "I've never been invited to an end-of-year awards ceremony." While guessing who would be invited, a heartwarming anecdote was revealed that Hong Seok-cheon once connected his daughter's favorite singer from elementary school, Kim Jaejoong, by phone. Hong Seok-cheon, noting "Kim Jaejoong's schedule is very busy these days," nonetheless listed expected attendees such as Park Bo Gum, Lee Byung-hun, Lee Jin-uk and i-dle's Miyeon, raising expectations. Hong Seok-cheon sincerely told his daughter, "We don't usually do something this big. I prepared all this because you're getting married." Watching in the studio, Kim Kook Jin marveled, "If it weren't for his daughter, he might not have had a birthday party."
That day, Hong Seok-cheon's sisters and his adopted son all rushed to be there. His younger sister, the children's birth mother, expressed gratitude toward Hong Seok-cheon, saying, "When I divorced, I packed up the kids and came to Seoul; he rescued his sister who had fallen into the water, and I'm thankful to him." Broadcaster Yoo Byung-kwon hosted the event, and 'golden connections' spanning the entire entertainment industry made a full appearance. Wax, a longtime close friend of Hong Seok-cheon and a singer, also attended and lifted the atmosphere with a celebratory song. Hong Seok-cheon said, "My birthday party isn't usually about me being the main person," describing it as a new opportunity space where people from the entertainment industry and various professions gather.
To announce his daughter's surprise marriage and entertain the guests, Hong Seok-cheon prepared a segment called 'Find the future son-in-law.' The future son-in-law hid his identity and blended in naturally among the guests. The future son-in-law joked, "With all these handsome models here, I don't know whether this is my father's birthday party or a roast of me(?)." The daughter, who successfully found her future husband among the models, presented her 'dad' Hong Seok-cheon with a "Good father award," saying, "You haven't won an award at an awards ceremony before, and it seems you have some regret about that, so I prepared a trophy," which produced a touching moment.
Meanwhile, descendants of the prestigious comedy family 'Haeju Oh clan' — Oh Ji-heon, Oh Jeong Tae and Oh Na-mi — gathered. Oh Ji-heon, once a top-ranked instructor, visited 'Matchmaker of Joseon' for a blind date for his 72-year-old father, a single man of 29 years who is now a senior model and barista holding various certifications. Oh Ji-heon said, "My father is like a bluebird who is hard to catch. I hope for a woman who can take hold of him," seeking a new stepmother. In response, Oh Jeong Tae revealed a stunning blind-date candidate with a provocative bikini photo, saying, "He can't even sleep because I said I'd set up the blind date." The person who went on the blind date with Oh Ji-heon's 'fashionista' father turned out to be Lee Sang-mi, an actress loved as Gaeddong's mother from the legendary drama 'Country Diary,' surprising viewers.
In an interview, Lee Sang-mi revealed that she has been busy with events and volunteer work, and she said her mother, who had been by her bedside for a long time, recently passed away and she became alone. Lee Sang-mi said, "My seniors say it's unfilial that I couldn't show them me married. Because I didn't marry, I was able to take good care of my mother," and expressed longing for her mother, saying, "If only for a day, no, even a week, couldn't my mother come back?" She also named actor George Clooney as her ideal type and said her mother would have wanted "a man who will love me as much as my mother loved me."
When the blind date officially began, Oh Ji-heon's father showed overwhelming affection for Lee Sang-mi. But when Oh Ji-heon's father launched into a one-sided conversation, Oh Ji-heon, who had been watching, eventually called his father out. After being scolded by his son, Oh Na-mi and Oh Jeong Tae, Oh Ji-heon's father returned to his seat and, pouring on the flirting, brought back smiles to Lee Sang-mi. The warm atmosphere continued when it was revealed that he was Oh Ji-heon's father, and Oh Ji-heon also came forward to express his thanks to Lee Sang-mi. Watching in the studio, Hwang Bo-ra marveled at 'Matchmaker of Joseon''s matching ability, saying, "How can you set up a blind date so well?"
[photo] TV CHOSUN 'Matchmaker of Joseon' broadcast capture
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