On KBS2's "Boss's ears are like the ears of a donkey," Lee Soon-sil wept while reminiscing about her daughter "Chung-dan," whom she lost during her defection.
The 302nd episode of KBS2's entertainment show "Boss's ears are like the ears of a donkey" (directed by Ahn Sang-eun), which aired on the 20th, recorded a peak rating of 6.5% and a nationwide rating of 4.4%, continuing its streak as the number one entertainment program in its time slot for an incredible 151 weeks. (According to Nielsen Korea)
The broadcast included the appearance of Eom Ji-in meeting anchor Wang Jong-kun for her junior Hong Joo-yeon, who has become a true product lady, as well as a cooking showdown between seasoned chef Jeong Ho-young and 5-star hotel head chef Shin Jong-cheol over abalone dishes, and Lee Soon-sil meeting the son of defector Kim Ah-ra, Dan-i.
On that day, Eom Ji-in visited anchor Hong Joo-yeon, who has become a true product lady. Jun Hyun-moo noted about Hong Joo-yeon conducting in a graceful visual with a formal tone, "Watching 'True Products' reminded me of senior Noh Hyun-jung during 'Imagine Plus.'" When Kim Suk pressed Jun Hyun-moo, saying, "Whenever Joo-yeon appears, you smile," Jun Hyun-moo responded, "It’s the same reason as my older sister smiling when she sees Byun Seung-hee," prompting laughter. Hong Joo-yeon candidly confessed, "I have a lot of worries since I’m stepping into a place where I wasn’t before," and Eom Ji-in invited Wang Jong-kun, the longest-serving MC of 'TV Show True Products' and a living legend in the broadcasting field, as a special mentor. Wang Jong-kun remarked about Hong Joo-yeon, "I already knew Joo-yeon; her son went to Seongdae, and Joo-yeon was famous for being pretty," and praised her saying, "She is perfect as a daughter-in-law." Upon seeing this, Park Myung-soo commented, "Hyun-moo is watching right now," to which Eom Ji-in playfully replied, "I just wanted to make Jun Hyun-moo nervous," and Jun Hyun-moo quipped back, "I’m definitely feeling the heat."
Meanwhile, Wang Jong-kun advised Jun Hyun-moo that being a reporter for 'Entertainment Relay' is a shortcut to entertainment. Wang Jong-kun expressed affection for his junior, stating, "Jun Hyun-moo has built a stronghold. He created a new style of MC, which is uniquely his own," and suggested Hong Joo-yeon study Chinese characters and broaden her perspective, creating warmth.
Head chef Shin Jong-cheol faced off against chef Jeong Ho-young in a pride-staking abalone cooking competition. Shin Jong-cheol showcased the dignity of a 5-star hotel head chef with abalone water kimchi cream pasta and abalone salad, guaranteeing not only taste but visual pleasure. Jeong Ho-young confidently claimed, "I can entice the local palate," and competed with abalone octopus stir-fry and abalone fried seaweed rolls. Jeong Ho-young, who has appeared in various cooking battle programs, stole the prepared ingredients from Shin Jong-cheol and used Shin's assistant Lee Ji-hoon like his own staff to rattle him. Shin Jong-cheol scolded Lee Ji-hoon, saying, "If you do that, you'll be an assistant forever," while Jeong Ho-young humorously reassured Lee Ji-hoon, saying, "Director Lee, I’m giving you the insides as well," displaying starkly different attitudes.
The visual of Shin Jong-cheol's abalone water kimchi cream pasta and abalone salad evoked responses like, "I want to eat it, I'm curious," but as the judging panel's expressions changed due to the unfamiliarity of the cream pasta, Shin Jong-cheol revealed his anxiety. At that moment, Jeong Ho-young showcased a noodle mixing performance and demonstrated his noodle-eating skills to promote his abalone octopus stir-fry. Noodle-eating performances unfolded all around, and Shin Jong-cheol shot a laser-like stare at Lee Ji-hoon, asking, "Are you eating the competitor's food while not even tasting your boss' dish?" The result of the competition ended with Lee Ji-hoon voting for chef Jeong Ho-young's dish, leading to Jeong Ho-young's victory. Shin Jong-cheol exclaimed at Lee Ji-hoon, "You walk to Seoul," bursting with laughter.
Meanwhile, Lee Soon-sil stirred tears with her deep longing for her daughter "Chung-dan," who she lost during her defection. Lee Soon-sil smiled at the sight of Dan-i drinking formula and prepared homemade pig's trotters and North Korean postpartum nourishment for Kim Ah-ra, nurturing her like a mother.
Lee Soon-sil admitted she made clothes for Dan-i, a boy, despite his gender, which was heart-wrenching. She shared, "Beautiful lace clothes keep coming to my mind," revealing her longing for her three-year-old daughter, whom she lost during her defection, saying, "In a corner of my heart, I think about my child." After saying she had never been able to give her daughter a hair band, she continued, "She remains in my memory as a three-year-old. It just stopped there," and expressed, "For me, children are wounds... I wonder how happy Ah-ra must be." Her heart-wrenching feelings, felt every time she saw babies after losing her daughter, resonated deeply. Kim Ah-ra empathized, saying, "I feel like I understand my sister's heart now."
Lee Soon-sil confessed that the smell of babies made her think of her daughter Chung-dan even more, choking up with tears. Calmly speaking, she said, "If I had my daughter, I wouldn’t envy anything," then shared, "That three-year-old kid was the one who fed me" as she recounted her experiences while living as a flower thief in North Korea before being separated from Chung-dan, weeping. The sorrow of having to be cautious even around her three-year-old and the desperate love Lee Soon-sil held for her daughter, who was caught by human traffickers during her defection, was conveyed, turning the scene into a sea of tears.
[Photo] Captured from the broadcast
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