Kim Yong-man: "Decided after watching Seo Taiji and Boys" — The Reason for His 'Temporary Retirement' at His Peak

*This content was translated by AI.

Comedian Kim Yong-man revealed the reason he declared a temporary retirement during his peak years.

On the 13th, a video titled "The God I Met, Are You Curious? | Comedian Kim Yong-man" was released on the YouTube channel 'Let It Be Renewed'.

On that day, Kim Yong-man spoke about the 7th batch of KBS public comedy actors, saying, "There were Nam Hee-seok, Yoo Jae-suk, Park Soo-hong, Kim Kuk-jin, and others. They were called the 'Golden Batch'." He continued, "At the time, MBC had Joo Byung-jin and Lee Kyung-gyu enjoying great popularity. So it seems KBS was trying to recruit talented individuals who were good at talking and had a likable image."

Recalling the period shortly after his debut when he quickly gained popularity, Kim Yong-man stated, "I received many program offers. I was on five fixed programs and also hosted a radio show."

However, he revealed the burden he felt at the time, saying, "Although it looked like I was doing well from others' perspectives, the pressure mounted." He added, "After that, I had back surgery and was lying in the hospital. When I watched my own broadcast, I felt like just a puppet." He continued, "At that time, Potato Valley was formed by me, Kim Kuk-jin, Kim Soo-yong, and Park Soo-hong. During a meeting, I recalled that Seo Taiji and Boys had declared a temporary retirement after their first album became a huge hit. So the idea came up that 'we should also take a short break and study.'"

He also reflected, "I thought I could become a comedian who is discarded after just following what PDs tell them. We should create things together with the production team, but I think I was thinking too highly of myself at the time."

Kim Yong-man said, "The four of us declared a suspension of all broadcasting activities and even invited reporters to announce it. After finishing the interviews, we went down to Busan, but when we returned to Seoul, the world had turned upside down."

He continued, "In the end, we were permanently expelled from the Korean Entertainment Association. It was not easy to manage the situation. Afterward, with permission from MBC, we made a brief statement and then went to the United States."

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*This content was translated by AI.