43-Year Veteran Lee Kyung-kyu: "Mentally Tough, But I Will Keep Running"

Broadcaster Lee Kyung-kyu Appears on JTBC 'Newsroom'
"Many Exhausting Moments..." Honest Confession
Also Reveals Wishes and Goals

Broadcaster and comedian Lee Kyung-kyu, who is celebrating his 43rd year since debut, revealed that there were many moments when he felt exhausted during his broadcasting career, while also sharing his wishes and goals he hopes to achieve.

Lee Kyung-kyu appearing on 'Newsroom' for an interview.
[Photo by JTBC 'Newsroom']

On the 16th, Lee Kyung-kyu appeared on JTBC's 'Newsroom' and had a conversation. This year marks his 43rd year since debut, and he stated that he is taking on new challenges across various platforms. He began by saying, "There is nothing new under this sky. However, since new platforms keep emerging, I think if I put my stories on those platforms, even the stories I told in the past might look fresher. So, I am always taking on many new challenges."

He added, "There is excitement in doing something new rather than fear," and said, "I have always taken on many new challenges in various variety shows I have done continuously. Now, I think, 'What good is it to be afraid?' It is something I have to do," sharing his honest feelings. When asked if he had ever felt tired despite working for over 40 years, he replied, "I still get tired. Broadcasting is mentally tough and exhausting," and added, "I want to rest sometimes. But since I have come this far, I cannot rest or step back. I have to keep running."

When asked if he had any advice for junior comedians, he said, "I hope they do not worry about the future. I also worried a lot about my future, but now that I have come this far, I think it was unnecessary," and claimed, "If you work hard, there is a good future. I believe the genre of making people laugh will last forever because only humans can laugh."

Lee also expressed his passion for movies. He said, "There is a movie called 'Son of a Dragon,' which is a documentary about people like Lee Ja-ryong," and added, "It was worth introducing, so I acquired the distribution rights, and it is about to be released. I am also thinking about making an action movie in the future." He continued, "I want to create new programs on new platforms and deliver new laughter."

Meanwhile, Lee debuted as the first public recruit of MBC through the 1st Radio Gag Contest in 1981. He has won the Broadcasting Entertainment Awards eight times in total and achieved the grand slam by winning the entertainment awards from all three major broadcasting companies. Recently, his 'scolding gag' has gained great popularity on social media (SNS).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.