Comedian Yeom Kyung-hwan Reveals He Appears in 100 Home Shopping Broadcasts Monthly

Comedian Yeom Kyung-hwan has revealed that he appears in 100 home shopping broadcasts each month.

On June 30, the YouTube channel 'Jjanhanyoung Shin Dong-yup' released a video titled 'Jisangryeol Yeom Kyung-hwan Jjanhanyoung EP. 99: Earned 5 Billion Won from Home Shopping. KBS, MBC, SBS All OUT! Yeom Kyung-hwan Announces Retirement from Entertainment.'

In the video, Yeom Kyung-hwan was asked, "How many home shopping shows do you do in a month?" He replied, "I do about 100. Sometimes, I've done more than 100." He added, "Even after a live broadcast ends, I have to prepare everything for the next day by myself. I do it all without a manager or coordinator."

Yeom mentioned, "I've known senior Shin Dong-yup for over 30 years, but this is our first time broadcasting together. While So Ji-sub is out promoting a Netflix series, I came here after selling frying pans." He continued, "Today, I did three home shopping shows. I sold frying pans and olive oil," he said with a laugh.

Jisangryeol commented, "You're like the Um Hong-gil of the home shopping world. You've reached the peak. Earning 5 billion won in sales is enough." To this, Yeom responded, "I think I've earned more money than you (Shin Dong-yup) this year. Let's playfully hit each other with wads of cash later," he joked.

Yeom also shared an anecdote from his time doing business in Vietnam. He recalled, "I ran a large Japanese restaurant in Vietnam, and there was an incident where my wife was slapped by a drunk customer. He was an expatriate and was heavily intoxicated." He continued, "I felt so sorry that I flew to Vietnam immediately. Seeing my wife struggle, I suggested we return to Korea."

When Shin Dong-yup asked, "Did you receive an apology?" Yeom replied, "I didn't receive an apology. I realized I shouldn't put my family through this. I was living abroad for my own ambitions, but I decided to focus on broadcasting." He added, "It's not easy to adapt overseas. My wife and children were there, and I was constantly traveling back and forth."

Yeom Kyung-hwan debuted as a comedian in 1993 as part of SBS's 2nd open recruitment and is currently active as a show host. Previously, on a variety show, Yeom revealed, "I earn about 3 billion won annually from home shopping, and I own six cars."

Reporter Se-yoon Jung, Ten Asia yoon@tenasia.co.kr