French broadcaster Fabien Yoon has revealed the reason behind his year-long hiatus.
On the 7th, Fabien Yoon's YouTube channel, 'Fabien Yoon', uploaded a video titled 'The Reason I Disappeared...'.
In the video, Fabien shared why he had been less active recently and updated fans on his new achievement of obtaining a tour guide certification.
Appearing in front of the camera after a long time, he greeted, "Have you been well? I am doing well," and continued, "As you might have guessed, I went through a tough time last year. I paused not only YouTube and broadcasting but also meeting people."
During this challenging time, Fabien reflected on himself, saying, "I felt the need to return to my roots. I asked myself what I love the most and when I am happiest," emphasizing, "The answer was clear. What I love the most is Korean culture and history."
Having always shown a deep affection for Korean history and culture, Fabien explained, "Although I am not Korean, I feel most fulfilled and happy when explaining Korean history. I have been working as a docent at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History for eight years and have also given tours at Changdeokgung Palace. I've conducted many lectures on Korean culture and history."
Fabien revealed that he decided to take the tour guide certification exam to make meaningful use of his time. This national certification allows one to explain Korean history, culture, and tourist sites to foreign visitors and provide interpretation services.
During his preparation, Fabien experienced severe neck pain due to excessive studying, requiring treatment. He shared, "Studying so much made my neck hurt to the point where it was hard to move. But I couldn't give up. When I have a goal, I see it through to the end, so I continued studying."
Fabien, who also took the TOEIC exam to take the certification test in English, proudly shared, "I hadn't taken an English test since high school, but I took the TOEIC for the first time and only got two questions wrong," scoring an impressive 975.
After about a year of preparation, Fabien passed the tour guide certification exam. He expressed, "Studying for a year taught me so much about Korea and made me feel closer to it. I realized again how beautiful and full of sights Korea is."
Regarding his future plans, Fabien thanked his supporters, saying, "Thank you for your concern and supportive comments. Thanks to you, I didn't give up during tough times." He added, "I plan to engage in various activities as a YouTuber, broadcaster, and tour guide," expressing his excitement for new challenges.
Born in 1987, Fabien settled in Korea in 2007 and currently holds permanent residency. Last year, he temporarily halted his activities due to psychological and personal difficulties.
By Eun-Jeong Kim, TenAsia Reporter eun@tenasia.co.kr