Yeom Kyung-hwan, who once dreamed of a new beginning in Vietnam, returned to Korea and took on the challenge of becoming a show host. After many twists and turns, Yeom Kyung-hwan became the ‘man with an annual salary of 3 billion won.’
Comedian Yeom Kyung-hwan, who turned into a show host and became the 'man with an annual salary of 3 billion won', revealed that he lost the price of a mid-size car by canceling a week's schedule.
Yeom Kyung-hwan appeared on the SBS entertainment show 'Same Bed, Different Dreams 2 - You Are My Destiny' (hereinafter referred to as 'Same Bed, Different Dreams'), which aired on the 27th. Yeom Kyung-hwan debuted as the second SBS comedian in 1993. He divorced his ex-wife, a former flight attendant, in 2002, and remarried his wife, Seo Hyun-jung, in 2008, and they have two sons.
Yeom Kyung-hwan's daily life as a show host was revealed on this day's broadcast. Yeom Kyung-hwan said, “I once did 108 home shopping broadcasts in one month,” and said that last year, there were 902 broadcasts. It is said that there are about 6 broadcast schedules per day. When MC Seo Jang-hoon asked, “There is a rumor that he makes 3 billion won a year, is that true?” Yeom Kyung-hwan explained, “It’s not that much.” In response, MC Kim Gura added, “That’s how hard they work.”
Yeom Kyung-hwan, who did not have a manager, prepared and moved everything from makeup to clothing to driving on his own. He said, "I don't have an agency. I don't even have a business card. We contact each other by sharing contact information between companies. There is no middleman. As a result, work comes in steadily without interruption."
Yeom Kyung-hwan arrived at the broadcasting station and waited in his car rather than in the waiting room. Regarding the reason, he said, "I got vaccinated up to the 5th time to avoid getting corona, but I ended up getting the last one," and "I lost all 21 schedules while quarantined for a week. It will be the price of a mid-size car." Yeom Kyung-hwan called after seeing the card approval text message his wife wrote at the department store. He said, “I don’t think I just stopped by the department store for a moment? I bought a lot of things, right?”, but added, “No, I did well. Buy some spring clothes for my father-in-law and mother-in-law.”
Yeom Gyeong-hwan said, "I had a hard time as a newlywed. I was miserable. My wife was pregnant with my first child, and I guess she wanted to eat strawberries. It was a time when I was hosting a night stage, and I bought it because it was sold cheaply on a truck in front of the night stage, but when I got home, it was in bad shape." “He was upset and crying while eating the dog,” he said. “I got a grudge against him, so I told him to go to the department store and buy everything he wanted, including the best fruits when I made money.” Best friend Kim Gu-ra said, "My wife knows Yeom Kyung-hwan's feelings well. He is the highest grade in the department store. Since he is a VIP, he even provides valet parking." Kim Gu-ra then surprised everyone by saying, "Yeom Kyung-hwan bought a sports car from company P, which is a man's dream. But his wife drove it, so he ended up buying her one too."
Yeom Kyung-hwan was also seen watching other home shopping channels and trying to make better broadcasts. He said, "I don't have any teaching materials. The home shopping broadcasting channel is my teaching material. When instructors from other countries turn on home shopping, good show hosts appear. If I see a good comment after watching it, I write it down and make it my own."
Yeom Gyeong-hwan married his wife only when his first son, Eun-ryul, was 4 years old. In 2004, there was a dispute with their agency, and they lived together without even registering their marriage. In the past MBC's 'Human Documentary People Are Good', Yeom Kyung-hwan confessed that he had been hiding his son's existence for 30 months out of fear that it would interfere with his broadcasting activities. He regretted, saying, “I thought, ‘Why did I hide such a blessed child, a gift from heaven?’”
Kyung-Hwan Yeom gave up his life in Korea and moved to Vietnam in 2016. Because I wanted to show my son a wider world and live half of his life differently. However, Yeom Kyung-hwan had a conflict with some local Korean residents, and returned to Korea in 2020.
Yeom Kyung-hwan also said that the people who were looking at him as a show host were not positive. However, he said, "There was no reason to hesitate," and "It was something I had to do because I had to make a living. There was a lot of talk about why a celebrity was selling things, and the image was bad, but I didn't have a second or a minute to spare. I said, 'Yes, I will do it.' “I did it,” he said, explaining why he excelled in the home shopping industry.
Yeom Kyung-hwan, who could do anything to support his family. Currently, it is attracting attention as the ‘idea bank of the home shopping world’ and love calls are pouring in. From a live gomtang broadcast to an orange and toothpaste meeting, he had a tight schedule without a break, and even though his palate was sore while eating boiling gomtang, he delivered his comments like a professional. His earnestness and desperation are the reasons why he was able to be reborn as ‘the man with an annual salary of 3 billion won.’
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr