‘51-year veteran Chinese cuisine master’ Yeo Kyung-rae shed tears together with his son, who expressed his heartfelt feelings that he had never known, saying, “I wanted to hear the word son.”
On the 18th, the TV CHOSUN entertainment program ‘Dad and Me’ featured the father-son duo Yeo Kyung-rae and Yeo Min, showcasing their kitchen scene after working together for seven months. Yeo Kyung-rae's protégé, the 'Goddess of Chinese Cuisine' Park Eun-young, visited and displayed a bond as strong as that of father and son. The 'Empathy Fairy' Jeon Hyun-moo, 'Daughter Representative' Lee Seung-yeon & Subin, 'Son Representative' Lee Geon-joo, and 'Dad Representative' Lim Hyun-sik also joined.
Yeo Kyung-rae expressed his thoughts on appearing on ‘Dad and Me’, saying, “I haven’t talked much with my sons, so I’m curious about what they will say.” Yeo Min described his father Yeo Kyung-rae as “someone I want to get close to and get to know,” evoking a sense of emotion.
The broadcast focused on the contrasting positions of Yeo Min, who wants to learn from his father, and Yeo Kyung-rae, who hopes his son will grow independently. When Yeo Min received a cold response from his father regarding the pork noodle soup he developed as a new menu item, he expressed disappointment, saying, “I’m curious about what went wrong, but he doesn’t tell me.” In response, Yeo Kyung-rae stated, “It wasn’t worth it. A new menu must have value as a product. You can’t be careless when selling it to customers.”
Yeo Min shocked viewers by saying, “When it comes to a teacher, it’s about receiving skills and learning from that person, but my dad has never done that. I’ve never thought of Chef Yeo Kyung-rae as my teacher.” In a subsequent interview, he revealed, “I often heard people say, ‘Why doesn’t your father support you?’ I always thought I was his number one, but it turns out that wasn’t the case, which upset me.”
In response, Yeo Kyung-rae remarked, “It’s wrong to give special treatment just because he’s my son. He is too dependent.” He added, “It’s not about ‘I will teach you’; the results will follow automatically based on what you do.”
Yeo Min, expressing his disappointment towards his father, eventually broke down in tears, saying, “I guess I wanted to hear that I’m a son.” Jeon Hyun-moo, who witnessed this, empathized, saying, “I’m not expecting anything grand. The disappointment has accumulated over time.”
Yeo Kyung-rae, moved by his son’s unexpected sincerity, said, “I thought the kids would know without saying anything, but I realized that sometimes you have to express it. I didn’t want to do this program, but now that I’m doing it, I’m glad,” as they both shed tears together. The journey of understanding and getting closer between Yeo Kyung-rae and Yeo Min continues on ‘Dad and Me’.
Meanwhile, at the end of the broadcast, a scene was depicted where the couple Seo Hyo-rim and her father, who appeared in season 1 of ‘Dad and Me’, visited the columbarium of the late Kim Soo-mi, who passed away last October. Seo Hyo-rim’s father wiped away tears for the feelings he couldn’t express to his in-laws.
Next week, the personal belongings of 'eternal national mom' Kim Soo-mi and the heart-wrenching stories she kept hidden will be revealed for the first time. What was the last sincerity Kim Soo-mi wanted to convey? You can find out on ‘Dad and Me’.
Meanwhile, ‘Dad and Me’ airs every Tuesday at 10 PM.
[Lee Da-gyeom, Star Today Reporter]
