Actor Ku Sung-hwan spoke candidly for the first time about his feelings after sending Kkot-bun away.
On MBC's I Live Alone, Ku Sung-hwan confesses his honest feelings after losing his pet dog "Kkot-bun," who felt like his daughter. He said he chose the national long-distance march to overcome his painful feelings, and the program shows the 446km journey from Seoul to Busan during which he walks thinking only of Kkot-bun.
On the MBC I Live Alone episode airing today (17th) (directed by Heo Hang, Kang Ji-hee, Kim Jin-kyung, Moon Ki-young, Jeong Ji-woon), Ku Sung-hwan's challenge of walking the national long-distance march from Seoul to Busan and the moment when actress Park Kyung-hye, who has been living alone for four months, realizes a childhood dream will be revealed.
In footage released ahead of the broadcast, Ku Sung-hwan says, "I am now in the middle of the national long-distance march from Seoul to Busan," revealing that he is attempting his third national long-distance march of his life. He recalls a failed attempt in his twenties when he challenged it with youth and bravado, and footage showing his 20s 'preservative visuals' that are not much different from his current appearance in his 40s produces laughter.
Ku Sung-hwan calmly conveys his honest feelings, saying, "I think this is my last challenge," and "After suddenly losing my dog Kkot-bun, whom I raised for 11 years, I think I was emotionally very devastated. Of course it had to be painful. She was my daughter.." He then explains why he decided to undertake the national long-distance march, saying, "I wanted to break through my painful feelings. What I chose to do for that was to walk."
Starting the arduous 446km journey from Seoul to Gwangalli Beach in Busan thinking only of Kkot-bun, Ku Sung-hwan shows firm determination, saying, "So far I have walked 421km over 16 days, and I only need to walk 25km more to finish." After spending a day at a village hall, he rises with pain-relief patches stuck all over his body and calls someone. At this moment, a man with a "zombie look(?)" appears and surprises the I Live Alone members. The mysterious man's identity and what Ku Sung-hwan's final march will look like raise anticipation for the full broadcast.
Meanwhile, actress Park Kyung-hye, who debuted 15 years ago and is a newcomer living alone for four months, appears on Rainbow Live. Having started her first solo life in a "6-pyeong one-room," Park Kyung-hye says she prepared a "bunk bed" to realize a childhood dream. Seeing the one-room filled with a bed, wardrobe and various belongings, the I Live Alone members react with worried comments such as, "The room will be packed.."
When the shop owner who was to install the "bunk bed" arrived earlier than the scheduled time, a flustered Park Kyung-hye quickly removed the mattress and laid down a rug with swift hands, creating space in an instant. When the owner advised that the existing mattress was too tall to put on the top bunk, Park Kyung-hye responded with ultra-positive humor, saying, "Then I'll just not sit up there and only sleep~," eliciting laughter.
While the dream "bunk bed" is being assembled, Park Kyung-hye hands the sweating shop owner tissues and a cold coffee and keeps up constant small talk, bringing laughs. Ku Sung-hwan says, "She keeps sending small talk like someone similar to me!" revealing they are "small-talk buddies." Park Kyung-hye admits, "When we have company dinners, it's always just the two of us left at the end," showing their talk chemistry. Anticipation builds for what the dream "bunk bed" filling Park Kyung-hye's "6-pyeong one-room" will look like.
Ku Sung-hwan's challenge of the 446km national long-distance march from Seoul to Busan can be seen on MBC's I Live Alone airing tonight (17th) at 11:10 p.m.
Earlier, Ku Sung-hwan delivered the sad news that his dog Kkot-bun, who was like a daughter, crossed the rainbow bridge on Feb. 14, which saddened many viewers.
Later, appearing in the I Live Alone studio, Ku Sung-hwan said he had gone to the United States to compose himself and returned, and said, "I didn't know that so many people really loved me like this. Thanks to the support and comfort of many people, I was able to send Kkot-bun off well and leave her as a good memory in my heart." In response, Jun Hyun-moo said, "Pet loss syndrome hits suddenly. When it strikes suddenly, they call us each time," and Ku Sung-hwan added, "Now I get choked up about once a day, but I'm getting much better."
[Photo] MBC's I Live Alone
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