"The Monk and the Guest" gained word-of-mouth and saw a ratings boost.
The SBS program Beopryun Road: The Monk and the Guest, which aired on the 26th, broadcast footage of traveling toward Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment.
The Monk and the Guest is an immediate question-and-answer road trip program featuring "national mentor" Beopryun and five guests Ro Hong-chul, Lee Sang-yoon, Lee Joo-been, Lee Ki Taek and Woo Chan as they search for the "true self," offering both lighthearted laughs and deep reflection and receiving favorable reviews.
In particular, immediately after the first broadcast it entered Netflix's "Top 10 series in Korea today" overall at No. 7 and No. 2 in the entertainment category, then rose to No. 4 overall and No. 1 in entertainment. Also, the broadcast on the 26th recorded a peak minute rating of 3.9%, showing an upward trend. In addition, the 2049 rating ranked No. 1 among all entertainment programs aired on Tuesday, establishing it as a wall-made entertainment program spanning TV and OTT platforms.
Meanwhile, that day Ro Hong-chul, Lee Sang-yoon, Lee Joo-been and Lee Ki Taek peppered Beopryun with a variety of questions. When Lee Sang-yoon asked, "Do you ever get angry, monk?" Beopryun said, "When it's something that should properly be done but isn't. At times like that I think I get a bit annoyed myself," revealing a human side.
When Lee Joo-been asked how to quickly get herself together when she feels irritated, Beopryun advised, "That is being attached to the angry mind. You shouldn't sulk and cling to it or act like that."
The broadcast also revealed Beopryun's one-on-one immediate question-and-answer session. Lee Joo-been, who stepped up as the first participant in the session with Beopryun, opened up about a sense of emptiness that remained even after landing her first leading role following 10 years of obscurity, drawing attention.
Lee Joo-been said, "I always dreamed of this moment, but it didn't feel tremendously satisfying, nor did the anxiety disappear, nor did I feel filled," adding, "'What do I want? What should I do to be happy?' is a recurring worry."
Beopryun replied, "Because you think what you want is fixed, you try to find what you want," adding, "What I want always changes from moment to moment. But if you keep trying to find something you want apart from the moment, you won't find the answer."
[Photo] SBS
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