Choi Soo-jong expressed his feelings about taking on the role of MC for ‘Korean's Table’.
On the morning of the 10th, a press conference was held for the 700th episode of KBS1’s ‘Korean's Table’ and the new presenter at KBS's new building in Seoul. PD Lim Gi-soon, writer Jeon Seon-ae, and actor Choi Soo-jong attended.
Choi Soo-jong said, “When I first received the contact, I couldn't easily accept it. When you think of ‘Korean's Table’, you think of Teacher Choi Bool-am. His gaze, gestures, and everything are embedded in the hearts of the entire nation, so it was a significant concern for me how I could express it, as it’s not something I can portray like in a drama. I had many discussions with Ha Hee-ra during the process of contemplating whether to take it on or not.”
He continued, “I also had a phone call with Teacher Choi Bool-am for over an hour. The last narrator, Teacher Ko Doo-shim, reached out to me. Teacher Choi Bool-am spoke about a sense of mission and responsibility. Teacher Ko Doo-shim acknowledged my burdens but said that if I could empathize with the joys, pains, and sorrows of the stories, just like in her life, that would be a good expression of ‘Korean's Table’. I gained great strength from her words about telling stories like your life.”
Choi Soo-jong stated, “I also tell my juniors that when discussing children's education, a parent's words and their figure from behind are what children grow up seeing. I will follow Teacher Choi Bool-am's figure from behind. I will carefully follow, being cautious not to step on the shadow cast by the sunlight. I know I can't do everything perfectly from the start, but I will go through the process of learning about food so that ‘Korean's Table’ becomes Choi Soo-jong's version.”
‘Korean's Table’ is a food documentary program that captures the hidden stories, history, and food culture of representative regional dishes. For the past 14 years and 3 months, it has traveled across the country, unraveling the lives and culture of Koreans on the dining table. The symbol of ‘Korean's Table’, Choi Bool-am, is concluding his long journey, passing the baton to Choi Soo-jong.
The 700th episode of ‘Korean's Table’ featuring Choi Soo-jong will air at 7:40 PM on the same day.
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
