Takuya Opens Up About His Desire to Find His Biological Father on 'Salimnam'

Takuya, 33, has expressed his heartfelt desire to find his biological father.

On the October 21st episode of KBS2's variety show 'Salimnam', former MC and comedian Kim Ji-hye made a special guest appearance. The episode featured heartwarming holiday stories from Park Seo-jin's family and Takuya's 'frugal' life in Korea. The show recorded a nationwide viewership rating of 5.1% according to Nielsen Korea.

Takuya caught attention by appearing in a messy house, wearing a winter coat. He confessed, "I spent a lot of money during my trip to Japan last month," indicating he was tightening his budget. To save on heating costs, Takuya exercised in his home, maintaining a temperature of 19 degrees Celsius. Park Seo-jin commented, "He doesn't even seem frugal with that visual," while Ji Sang-ryeol humorously exclaimed, "Why are you doing this on 'Salimnam'? There are many shows in Japan. Just do this one!" causing laughter.

Takuya then filled an empty plastic bottle with warm water to keep warm and monitored reactions to his appearance on 'Salimnam'. Previously, he had expressed a desire for attention, even if it meant receiving negative comments. Encouraged by positive feedback, Ji Sang-ryeol added, "Now that Takuya is on 'Salimnam', the boiler temperature will rise to 26 degrees." MC Lee Yo-won asked, "If Takuya becomes a regular, won't your airtime decrease?" to which Ji Sang-ryeol humorously replied, "Take more rest. You have a long life ahead."

The episode continued to reveal Takuya's cramped bathroom, drafty window ventilation system, and his habit of washing his hair with cold water, shocking everyone. Takuya shared, "I've endured Korean winters like this for 15 years," and demonstrated his frugality by using water in an empty shampoo bottle.

Takuya's mother made a surprise visit to his Seoul home, drawing attention. Having learned about Takuya's past struggles and harsh reality in Korea from the show, she said, "I became worried after seeing him on 'Salimnam'. I didn't tell him I was coming because he might have told me not to."

Takuya was stunned by his mother's unexpected arrival. Entering the dark and cold house, she greeted him with remarks like, "Open the curtains. Live a little brighter," and "Do you clean? It's a pile of trash." Confronted with the state of the refrigerator, she remarked, "Now I know why you never invited me."

Feeling uncomfortable, Takuya said, "You should have told me you were coming," and his mother expressed concern, asking, "Is there a problem with your work?" With only two scheduled events for the month, Takuya couldn't hide his discomfort and left the house, leaving his mother alone. After he left, she unpacked food she brought from Japan, preparing Takuya's favorite dishes like hayashi rice and seasoned pollack roe. Takuya, experiencing his mother's home-cooked meal in Korea for the first time, admitted, "I feel good, but I'm also conflicted about showing her a side of me I didn't want to."

Sitting across from his mother at the table, Takuya began a conversation. Recalling his previous confession about missing his biological father, he cautiously said, "I realized I know very little about my real dad." His mother, taken aback by the sudden question, remained silent for a while before admitting, "I lied when I said your dad passed away when you were young." Takuya, already aware of the truth, shared, "I think I liked my dad when I was young. I even hid in the trunk when he left, wanting to go with him."

Gathering courage, Takuya asked, "What if I wanted to find my biological father?" His mother replied, "Your dad is from Hokkaido, but I have no connections there. He might have passed away at 71, and finding him could be difficult." She then asked, "Do you still want to meet him?" Takuya calmly responded, "Because we share the same blood." He added, "I don't have much to say if I meet him. I don't remember much, but I just want to show him how I've grown."

Tae Yuna, TenAsia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr