Park Ji-yoon Reveals Jeon Hyun-moo's Early Career Secrets on 'Jeon Hyun-moo Plan 3'

Broadcaster Park Ji-yoon has spilled the beans on Jeon Hyun-moo's early career days.

On the 22nd episode of the real street food documentary 'Jeon Hyun-moo Plan 3' (co-produced by MBN, Channel S, and SK Broadband), which aired on the 13th, Jeon Hyun-moo and Kwak Tube (Kwak Jun-bin) were joined by 'Our Balladeers' Lee Ye-ji and Chun Beom-seok, as well as 'Jeju resident of six years' Park Ji-yoon for a special 'Jeju Resident' episode. The group showcased the essence of local Jeju cuisine by visiting Lee Ye-ji's father's favorite restaurant for 'sea urchin noodles,' followed by Park Ji-yoon's recommended local spots for braised filefish and 'white meat' dishes.

Upon arriving in Jeju, Jeon Hyun-moo and Kwak Tube welcomed their first guests, Lee Ye-ji and Chun Beom-seok. Jeon introduced Lee Ye-ji as a 'Jeju girl' whose father is a taxi driver. Lee Ye-ji then guided them to her and her father's favorite restaurant. At the restaurant, Jeon humorously asked in Jeju dialect if they could film there, bringing laughter to the group.

The group successfully secured a spot at the restaurant, where they enjoyed sea urchin noodles made by a family of divers for three generations. The rich flavor of the sea urchin impressed everyone, and they devoured the sea urchin bibimbap as well. Jeon Hyun-moo praised the dishes, saying, "These are meals you must come to Jeju to enjoy."

After parting ways with Lee Ye-ji and Chun Beom-seok, Jeon Hyun-moo introduced the second guest, Park Ji-yoon, describing her as someone he has known for a long time but with an ambiguous title. Park Ji-yoon, who has been living in Jeju for six years, explained that she is Jeon's junior but a senior by two classes in the KBS announcer recruitment. She then took them to her favorite local restaurant. Thanks to Park Ji-yoon, they quickly secured a spot, and Kwak Tube inquired about how they address each other. They humorously replied that they don't call each other by name but just speak when they make eye contact. Amidst this playful atmosphere, they enjoyed the braised filefish recommended by Park Ji-yoon.

During the meal, Park Ji-yoon began to reveal stories from Jeon Hyun-moo's early career, stating, "I only worked with Hyun-moo for two years, but I watched him from the start. It was chaotic back then." Kwak Tube tried to compliment Jeon by saying it was because he was too handsome, but Park Ji-yoon candidly said, "People were wondering who hired him." She continued, "Senior Hwang Soo-kyung was said to be on his interview panel, but we couldn't believe it. Even MBC's new hire was Oh Sang-jin, so people questioned why Jeon was chosen over him."

As Jeon Hyun-moo felt overwhelmed, Park Ji-yoon continued her revelations, sharing that Jeon often made risky moves on variety shows, leading to frequent summons by higher-ups. She recounted an incident where Jeon joked on a show that Park had undergone many cosmetic surgeries, which would have warranted an apology on social media today.

After the revelations, Park Ji-yoon recommended her favorite meat restaurant as the final stop. During the drive, Jeon mentioned that Park was known for her large appetite even during her announcer days. Park humorously admitted, "If YouTube had been around then, I would have been a mukbang star like Tzuyang." She revealed that she could eat 50 dumplings until three years ago and only realized what feeling full meant at 40.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, the trio enjoyed 'white meat' and pork jowl, giving their seal of approval. When Kwak Tube asked about Jeon's appearance during his rookie days, Park humorously replied, "He looked middle-aged," but also praised his broadcasting skills. The group concluded their Jeju culinary journey with fermented soybean stew, with Jeon expressing a desire to return for more undiscovered spots. Park Ji-yoon suggested a 'bread pilgrimage' for their next visit, listing various bakery hotspots.

'Jeon Hyun-moo Plan 3' airs every Friday at 9:10 PM on MBN and Channel S.

Reporter: Kim Se-ah, TenAsia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr