The secret to longevity for 16 years revealed by Kim Gura and Kim Kook-jin

The MCs and production crew of MBC's entertainment show 'Radio Star' expressed their feelings on the 800th episode.

On the afternoon of the 18th, a press conference commemorating the 800th episode of 'Radio Star' was held at the M Lounge on the second floor of the MBC building in Sangam, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Producer Lee Yun-hwa, Kim Gook-jin, Kim Gura, Yoo Se-yoon, and Ahn Young-mi attended the event.

'Radio Star' started with the 'Golden Fishery' corner on May 30, 2007 and has remained on Wednesday nights ever since. Currently, Kim Gook-jin, Kim Gura, Yoo Se-yoon, and Ahn Young-mi are active as MCs.

On this day, PD Lee Yun-hwa was asked, "What was the reason for holding a press conference to celebrate the 800th episode?" and began by saying, "Actually, I said I didn't want to do it." He then mentioned Kim Gura's remarks at the awards ceremony, saying, "Actually, there were some complaints about Brother Gura's acceptance speech."

Previously, at the time of the '2022 MBC Entertainment Awards', Kim Gu-ra said, "Next year will be the 17th anniversary of 'Radio Star'. When it comes to restaurants, long-established restaurants are treated well, but entertainment shows are crazy about freshness. It is true that 'Radio Star' does not attract as much attention as it used to. “And that is the rule of the entertainment industry.”

In response, PD Lee said, "Actually, when we are recruiting writers, we say things like, 'Our show is really hot. So, if you come on it, it will shine even brighter.' "He said, "I felt sorry for the writers knowingly or not, and I had some regrets. I didn't want to do (the press conference) because I was afraid they would say things like that again," he said, causing laughter.

When asked how long he predicted that 'Radio Star' would last, Kim Gu-ra said, "Actually, when I first started, I didn't know that this program would last this long. All programs have an end. Even if it is the longest-running program, I think it will end. But, “I think we can go far enough to reach the 850th or 900th episode. It will end someday and I may not be there, but the program is not ours, it’s the broadcasting station’s. It makes sense that it will disappear at some point when its competitiveness declines,” he said.

He added, "I'm not sad at all when our program ends. I think we've enjoyed a long life, so of course I think it will end someday. That won't be near-term."

Yoon Jong-shin's words were mentioned as the biggest crisis moment of 'Radio Star'. Kim Gu-ra said, “Yoon Jong-shin said, ‘I do it, but it’s not fun.’ “We are leaving ‘Radio Star’ to pursue a music career to refresh ourselves, but I think it is a crisis when we feel that doing it on our own is not fun.”

However, he said, “I haven’t done anything like that yet. Of course, there are times when I think, ‘They’re recording for a long time,’ but after recording, I always go back and say, ‘Today was fun,’ or ‘I made it funny because of someone.’”

When asked about her thoughts on being the first female MC on 'Radio Star', Ahn Young-mi said, "The position was very attractive. So I think I approached it with a sense of responsibility." Ahn Young-mi, who recently announced the news of her pregnancy, said, "I have now become the first pregnant MC. I am doing this with a different sense of responsibility."

Regarding her future plans, Ahn Young-mi said, "I am only 15 weeks pregnant, so I have not thought about the future in detail. If they give me childcare leave like a regular company, I will work for 'Radio Star' regardless of whether it is the 1,000th or 2,000th." “I want to continue to hold this position,” he said.

Ahn Young-mi joked about working with the MCs, saying, "The important thing is that we are not close to each other. We haven't adapted to each other yet. So there is no chance of boredom. There is always something new." He continued, "They say 'Ras' has become much milder, and the secret to its longevity seems to be its mild taste. If it had been as strong and controversial as it was in the past, it would have been difficult to live a long life in today's era." He added, "Because MCs have become milder, guests “I think it has become a playground-like place where people can play comfortably,” he explained.

Yoo Se-yoon said, "'Radio Star' was a program that helped me grow greatly in my entertainment industry life. That's why I am even more grateful. It's an honor to be a part of the 800th episode," and "I feel like the 900th episode is the most likely to be without me. I think so. I hope we have the honor of being together for the 900th episode as well.”

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