Is it Lee Sang-min or ‘My Little Old Boy’ who can’t let go of the ‘debt collector concept’?

≪Tae Yuna’s Oh Ye≫
‘The era of content overflow’. For readers who are wondering what to watch, reporter Tae Yu-na and Ten Asia will serve as an ‘entertainment guide.’ It adds fun to watching the program by delving into hot issues in the entertainment industry, as well as watching points, major characters, and behind-the-scenes stories.

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Broadcaster Lee Sang-min pays off about 7 billion won in debt after 17 years. However, while expressing his expectations for 'New Life', he chose to shop for a Jeju penthouse worth 2.3 billion won. The ironic reality is that he, who was criticized for abusing the image of debt, is once again promoting money and debt as a concept. Is it Lee Sang-min himself who can't let go of this concept of a debtor, or is it the production team trying to use it as a hot topic?

SBS' 'My Little Old Boy' (hereinafter referred to as 'My Little Old Boy'), which aired on the 19th, depicted the story of Lee Sang-min, who went to Jeju with the dream of finding a new home. On this day, Lee Sang-min announced, "Sang-min Lee's new life will begin between fall and winter this year. All debts will be paid off."

Lee Sang-min was left with a debt of 6.9 billion won due to past business failures. At the time, Lee Sang-min announced that most of the debt was due to the company's corporate financing, so he would not file for bankruptcy and would work hard to pay it off on his own, even though he could receive legal help such as corporate liquidation, personal bankruptcy, and corporate bankruptcy. Afterwards, he entered his second heyday with a salty image and appeared to faithfully pay off his debts.

However, it was shocking last year when it was revealed that the remaining debt from a number of entertainment shows had increased from 900 million won to 1.6 billion won. This is because he did not understand the situation in which his debt continued to increase rather than decrease despite earning a huge amount of appearance fees, renting a house worth over 2 million won, and owning hundreds of pairs of luxury shoes. As a result, it was criticized as a 'debtor concept', abusing the image of debt.

As the controversy grew, Lee Sang-min explained that the reason for the increase in debt was because some creditors demanded more than the original repayment amount due to interest and long-term debt, and even disclosed documentary evidence.

Although he faced criticism from the public at one time, Lee Sang-min eventually achieved his dream of paying off his debt after 17 years. My best friend Seo Jang-hoon also congratulated me by explaining, "A lot of people misunderstood. A few years ago, I said it would only take a year and I would pay it all back, but there were a lot of twists and turns. Things that weren't there before started happening again."

However, it is disappointing that the film not only announces debt settlement but also shows people looking for a house to move to in Jeju by price range. The first romantic house he visited was a luxury penthouse priced at 2.38 billion won, with marble decorations, large-window sea views, and an infinity pool.

In particular, while admiring the penthouse, Lee Sang-min expressed his desire to buy a house even if he was in debt again, asking Tak Jae-hoon and Kim Jun-ho how much money they had and asking Seo Jang-hoon how much money he could borrow. In response, Kim Jun-ho said, "I get greedy and end up in debt again. How old will I be in the next 17 years? If I get into debt again, it's not a debt, it's a debt."

Of course, Lee Sang-min probably had no intention of actually buying a penthouse worth 2.3 billion won. It is highly likely that the production team's script was involved to some extent. However, continuing to tell Lee Sang-min's story only through the story of 'money' and 'debt' at a time when he is about to pay off his debt makes it feel like he is still unable to abandon the concept of a debtor. Whether Lee Sang-min's will or the production team's will, Lee Sang-min's image as a 'debt collector' has been consumed for too long. Now is the time to move on to a new character.

Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr