[Exclusive]"Kim Hee-cheol created the 'Debt-ridden' character"... Lee Sang-min's survival tactics in variety shows to pay off 7 billion won in debt [Interview behind-the-scenes]

*This content was translated by AI.

The 7 billion won debt was a tag that followed Lee Sang-min, formerly of the group Roola, throughout his broadcasting career. However, instead of hiding his weakness, Lee turned it into a weapon for variety shows. Sometimes as the protagonist and sometimes as a supporting character taking a step back, he precisely understood his position and moved accordingly. His long-running success had its own 'variety survival tactics'.

In an interview conducted recently to mark StarNews' 22nd anniversary, Lee Sang-min reflected on the background that allowed him to continue activities in various variety programs for a long time.

Lee Sang-min revealed the process of learning late that he was carrying about 7 billion won in debt when he first started his broadcasting career. He explained that due to a past business failure, corporate debts were transferred to individuals, and after appearing on a broadcast, his appearance fee was seized, which is how he learned the specific scale of his debt.

Afterwards, Lee Sang-min did not hide his debt situation but publicly disclosed it on broadcasts first. This was when he first revealed that he had debt during his appearance on Channel A's 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine'. He said, "I thought I should start by openly admitting my own problems first, so I revealed for the first time that I owed this much." He added, "After revealing everything myself and saying I would work hard to pay it all off without filing for bankruptcy or reorganization, that became one of the reasons I could receive love from the public."

Lee Sang-min had no resistance to using his debt as material for variety shows. Instead, he revealed his situation exactly as it was and created a character on broadcasts. In this process, he also expressed gratitude to his colleague Kim Hee-cheol, who gave him the descriptor 'Debt-ridden'.

Lee Sang-min mentioned JTBC's 'Knowing Bros', where he appeared as a fixed member, explaining, "Since 'Knowing Bros' has a concept of using informal speech, (Kim) Hee-cheol saying 'Despite being debt-ridden' was expressed very humorously and became one character." He then added, "Actually, the 'Debt-ridden' character was created by Hee-cheol, so I am grateful to him."

There were also Lee Sang-min's own criteria for determining his role in variety shows. He said he takes a different presence depending on the program. Lee Sang-min stated, "I interpret and distribute my presence differently for each program before entering." He further explained, "In SBS 'We Got Married', I am the protagonist of the episodes I appear in, but in 'Knowing Bros', I take a supporting role from the very back row."

He emphasized, "Just because I receive a lot of love in one program, my position cannot change to the back row in 'Knowing Bros'." He added, "While maintaining the character I have built at that spot, even if I show only 15%, 'Knowing Bros' can become 100%, and in my episodes on 'We Got Married', I must show 100% presence, so I approach it that way."

The criteria for choosing programs to appear on were also clear. He said, "I work with the criteria that I must be curious, there must be something I can learn, or I must have fun. As a result, all programs seem to become long-running shows and continue their seasons."

Colleagues who created broadcasts together during the process of paying off debt were indispensable. Lee Sang-min said, "The closest people are colleagues with whom I converse inside the camera," adding, "It was so good to be able to talk face-to-face with Kang Ho-dong, Seo Jang-hoon, Lee Su-geun, Kim Hee-cheol, and sometimes when (Kang) Ho-dong hugged me saying 'Hang in there', it was a great help. The support from colleagues like Shin Dong-yup, Kim Gura, Haha became a major driving force."

Even during the days when he handled three or four programs a day and 12 programs a week, Lee Sang-min continued broadcasting. After accumulating time in this way, he has now cleared all his debts.

However, even after clearing his debts, he set a new goal to test his limits once again. This time, instead of as a variety entertainer, he challenges idol production as a producer. Lee Sang-min revealed the reason for his decision to return as a producer, saying, "Paying off debt was painful, and if it is a goal that requires much struggle with reality, it seems like a goal that could make me suffer again."

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*This content was translated by AI.