Reality Check: Hyun Joo-yeop's Son Learns Life Lessons on 'Dad and Me Season 3'

TV personality Jeon Hyun-moo made a candid remark to Hyun Joo-yeop.

On the October 11th episode of TV CHOSUN's 'Dad and Me Season 3', Hyun Joo-yeop embarked on a special trip with his son, Hyun Jun-hee. Excited for the rare outing, Jun-hee expressed, “I’m thrilled and looking forward to fishing.” Upon arriving at the West Sea, Hyun Joo-yeop and his son enjoyed a hearty breakfast, with Hyun Joo-yeop showing a lively appetite.

However, the trip took an unexpected turn when Hong Myung-wan, a former wrestling athlete and now an anchovy fishing boat captain, appeared. He said, “Let’s get to work. Where are the work clothes?” leaving Jun-hee bewildered. It turned out the trip was a setup to teach Jun-hee the value of money and labor. Previously, Jun-hee had clashed with his father after spending his 100,000 won allowance on games.

Realizing it was a day of work, not leisure, Jun-hee felt betrayed, saying, “Did you trick me? You told me to eat well in the morning and now you’re making me work.” Jeon Hyun-moo commented, “Stop lying,” while Soobin was shocked by the deception. Jun-hee was tasked with packing seaweed into boxes, each weighing 30-40kg. Hong instructed, “You two should do it together,” roping Hyun Joo-yeop into the labor.

Hyun Joo-yeop admitted, “I thought only Jun-hee would work, but I was surprised to join in,” yet it became a bonding experience. Despite the cold and heavy workload, Jun-hee persevered, and together they sorted 1,440kg of seaweed. Hyun Joo-yeop felt proud, saying, “Seeing Jun-hee work hard made me glad I brought him.” He added, “I wanted to give him a real-life experience, just like I had 30 years ago on a fishing boat.”

After two hours of seaweed work, they moved on to the delicate task of seaweed lifting. Hong warned, “If you do it wrong, you’ll have to pay,” and due to their slow pace, they were reassigned to drying the seaweed. The towering duo, both over 190cm, bent over tirelessly to complete the task. Jun-hee reflected, “I realized I need to work hard to avoid being a burden, as people’s livelihoods depend on this.”

Once the seaweed job was done, Hong invited them to see the sea. However, instead of the anticipated fishing, Jun-hee was tasked with oyster harvesting. As the operation began, Jun-hee realized, “I’ve been tricked again,” and found himself in another labor-intensive task. Returning to land, they continued with oyster sorting.

Jeon Hyun-moo and Han Hye-jin remarked, “That’s not fishing, it’s just labor,” feeling sorry for the deceived Jun-hee. After a grueling 8-hour day, Hong paid them for their work, freeing them from the labor. Jun-hee earned 82,560 won, his first income, and reflected, “Creating value made me realize how easy my life has been. I’m grateful to my father for this early job experience.”

TV CHOSUN's 'Dad and Me Season 3' airs every Wednesday at 10 PM.

Reporter Kim Se-ah, Ten Asia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr