Actor Im Chae-moo, who operates an amusement park and is in debt of 19 billion won, has made headlines recently.
The trailer for KBS2's 'Boss's Ears Are Donkey Ears' (hereinafter referred to as 'Boss's Ears') aired on the 13th and featured Park Myung-soo visiting the amusement park.
While on a ride, Park Myung-soo suddenly greeted someone warmly, and it drew attention that actor Im Chae-moo, a veteran with 52 years of experience, was there. Im Chae-moo has been operating 'Doolyland' for about 40 years.
Park Myung-soo asked, "How long has this been around?" and Im Chae-moo replied, "It opened in 1990," which surprised him. Park Myung-soo then asked, "How large is it in pyeong?" and Im Chae-moo answered, "It's about 16,700 pyeong."
Then, Park Myung-soo asked, "How much did you actually borrow?" and Im Chae-moo said, "19 billion won," adding, "The daily sales are between 160,000 and 320,000 won," sharing his difficult situation. He also noted, "To pay taxes, I have to borrow more. I've been a bit cornered lately," conveying the ongoing accumulation of debt, which evoked sympathy.
Meanwhile, Im Chae-moo, feeling upset about the lack of play facilities for children near Seoul, sold two APT.s in Yeouido in 1989 to build Doolyland. He revealed that at the time, he and his wife lived in the amusement park's restroom with two military beds for about a year, shocking many. At the time of establishment, the debt was 4 billion won, but it has gradually increased.
In particular, Doolyland closed for renovations in October 2017 due to environmental issues such as fine dust. Subsequently, Im Chae-moo transformed it into a space that could accommodate an indoor theme park, training center, and VR games, reopening in April 2020 after three years.
He expressed his beliefs on why he continues to operate Doolyland despite having debts exceeding 10 billion won, saying, "I feel happier seeing children play than if I sold this (land) and had money."
[Photo] OSEN DB, KBS2
[OSEN]