"Kindergarten teachers are admirable." 'Principal' Lee Su-geun and 'Teacher' Lee Mi-ju are bringing an extremely special 'Su-geun School' [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Su-geun, Lee Mi-ju, and Im Woo-il have come together for 'Su-geun School'.

The team for KBS 2TV's new variety show 'Welcome to Su-geun School' (hereinafter 'Su-geun School') held an online production press conference on the morning of the 24th. Director PD Lee Won-sik and the three MCs, Lee Su-geun, Im Woo-il, and Lee Mi-ju (Lovelyz), attended.

'Su-geun School' promotes a new concept of school variety. It features a journey of two months where children and elderly people, with an age gap of as much as 70 years, gather in a single classroom of a quiet mountain school in a mountainous area of Uiseong County, Gyeongsangbuk-do, to take classes together and build intergenerational understanding. Led by comedian Lee Su-geun, singer Lee Mi-ju and comedian Im Woo-il join as teachers to meet with extremely special students.

On this day, PD Lee Won-sik explained the planning intent: "'Su-geun School' is the variety version of KBS 1TV's 'My Friend Is Seven Years Old' (2016), which aired 10 years ago. At that time, a special program was broadcast with the feeling of breaking down the wall between the elderly and children during holidays. There were people curious about how it would have changed 10 years later, which is why we visited Uiseong. However, the number of residents in Uiseong has decreased by 7,000 to 8,000 compared to then. The situation where the elderly are lonely and children have no friends has become even more severe than before. Therefore, we believed that bringing these people together to make friends still holds meaning today."

Why were Lee Su-geun, Lee Mi-ju, and Im Woo-il recruited as teachers? PD Lee explained: "We invited Lee Su-geun as the principal. We thought he would fit from the start. He has a strong ability to take good care of children and bring people together. We heard that Lee Mi-ju dreamed of being a kindergarten teacher. She is a person who empathizes well and has a warm character, so we cast her. Im Woo-il looks scary when expressionless, but has a reverse charm when he smiles. We thought they would play different roles, so we formed the team this way."

When asked about his reason for appearing, Lee Su-geun confidently stated, "There are only a few people in South Korea who can handle this program. I am the only one." He continued, "Physically, I am quite on the same level as the children. I don't give off a sense of rejection when seen. I also have a visual that allows me to easily approach the elderly."

At the same time, Lee Su-geun emphasized his simple charm, saying, "Although I am called the principal, in fact, I am not as mature as the children."

Furthermore, Lee Su-geun shared his unique reflections after finishing 'Su-geun School': "I always think that the elderly are my future. I also wonder if I will become very lonely when I reach that age. The biggest thing is the children's appearance. Just seeing their bright smiles makes me happy and provides a lot of healing. The filming period was quite hot, but I approached it so enjoyably that there was no discomfort. When I arrive in Uiseong, all fatigue disappears. There is a point where we heal together."

Regarding her joining 'Su-geun School', Lee Mi-ju answered, "Since my dream was to be a kindergarten teacher, I thought it would be good to have an opportunity to be with children and create good memories. I also thought it was a good opportunity to be with the elderly, so I readily agreed. I became convinced."

Upon hearing this, Lee Su-geun praised her, saying, "The children all go only to (this) Teacher Mi-ju."

Lee Mi-ju also shared, "Actually, after playing the role of a teacher, I realized a lot that kindergarten teachers are extremely admirable people." She continued, "I often thought, 'Other people's children are this cute, so how much more beautiful must my own child be?' I even told my mother this on the way home after filming, revealing her thoughts on the second generation and drawing attention."

Im Woo-il expressed his emotional feelings about reuniting with Lee Su-geun. He reminisced, "I have a senior-junior relationship with senior Lee Su-geun as a KBS public casting comedian. When I first appeared on 'Gag Concert' as a rookie, the senior was playing the role of a teacher in the 'Bongsungahakdang' segment. That was already 16 years ago. Meeting again as principal and teacher this time brought back many memories from then."

'Su-geun School' will be broadcast as a total of 8 episodes, starting from the 25th, every Thursday at 10 p.m.

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*This content was translated by AI.