Subtitles by OnDemandKorea
The life that moves at a breathless pace.
Go to meetings...
go to class...
and drink.
We live in the midst of so many people.
But I can't remember when the last time I had a face-to-face conversation was.
One day...
The "talk road" opened!
Can you listen with me?
You don't want to?
Anyone to heal my hurts?
Stop him. He's too cool.
Enter someone's daily life suddenly...
What do you think I'll talk about? Dating?
Something sexual?
The road where you courageously talk!
I lost an election this April.
The story of the guy who didn't really work out.
That one thing you heard on the street...
I lost all trust for the society's system.
Please save me.
becomes something that pierces your heart!
Busking with words.
As I Say!
It begins now.
I'm MC Yoo Hee-yeol.
(Wipes off some coolness)
I'm MC Haha.
(Warning: Embarrassing)
I'm Kwang Jung-eun, the woman who speaks her thoughts.
(Rolls her thoughts?)
(No, speaks.)
I'm Lee Joon-suk, Sangkye-dong's Park Bo-young.
(Puhahahaha)
Park Bo-young!
I'm sorry.
Park Bo-young!
I'm the ill person, Outsider.
The courageous have come out to speak.
On W-W-Wednesday nights,
busking with words.
As I Say!
Joon-suk, you really... you really do look like...
I don't want to admit it but it's in there.
(So cool)
(As I Say with Park Bo-young)
Through a meeting, we find topics to talk about
and then we go out to the streets to do busking with words.
I don't want to say this line.
Everytime I say it, they show the street.
Fine, I'll do it.
From Seoul to Jeju,
we go anywhere with things to talk about out to the talk roads.
You saw the streets, right?
And those who were touched by the busking
can voluntarily donate.
The total we've collected so far...
Don't be shocked.
Total $234.
(Is that a lot?)
Your face looks like you're scoffing at us.
Regardless of money, I just really like this program
and that's why I'm here.
I'll donate a part of my pay.
It's not because we're poor.
(A small act of kindness)
We'll be having a relay busking, with the MCs and the buskers forming a team.
Who came to courageously speak today?
We introduce to you today's team for the talk busking.
("First Busker")
He entered the political world at a young age.
He's also been working in the entertainment field.
(Harvard grad, Lee Joon-suk)
You lost an election at the beginning of this year.
I did.
I heard you cried.
Really?
It was before the elections so I didn't know if I'd win.
But people were saying I cried because I lost.
Yeah, that's what everyone thinks.
That's not true!
During campaigns, I would hold the mic like this.
I'd say, "Hello, I'm Lee Joon-suk."
When kids pass by,
like elementary school kids, walking by with their moms...
I felt like I was seeing myself at that age
and I tear up.
So you didn't cry because of Ahn Chul-soo.
I said no!
We just wanted to make it clear.
We announced it. It's not true.
Joon-suk entered politics at a young age.
You were a National Assembly intern at age 19.
People think I was always interested in politics because I was an intern
but I wasn't.
Then how...?
At that time...
It's a bit embarrassing but I can say it now.
I was an intern for National Assembly
because my girlfriend lived in Dangsan-dong.
(What?)
She lived there and I was looking for intern positions
and the National Assembly is close to Dangsan-dong.
I remember the bus too. 6633?
It's close to Dangsan.
Yeah.
That's how I started.
So you started because of your girlfriend.
It was a long distance relationship because I was in America
and I was only in Korea for 4 months for summer break.
So we had to meet up often.
He seems so cute all of a sudden.
(Yeouido Romantist)
The one who put me into politics is my girlfriend?
But a lot of times, when people start a specific career,
it's because of girlfriends or significant others.
I started music to impress girls.
Yeah, that's how I started guitar.
- At retreats, at camps. - At literature nights.
Talent shows and...
Literature nights?
What an old guy.
Literature nights?
What are literature nights?
(Culture nights: famous events in 8~90s where you reiterate poems or plays)
The principal would announce it
and then give you a token if you do well.
Literature nights--
I didn't have them.
You know it!
He's flustered.
Is it an official event from the school/
Stop it now!
(Teasing Hee-yeol is so fun)
(Coming back to Joon-suk)
There are a lot of images of Joon-suk being a politician or an entertainer
but I don't know much about Joon-suk as a person.
Politics isn't everything.
So I want to talk about myself a little bit.
Next. ("Second Busker")
Always honest and confident comments.
She solves the psychology of men and women.
Dating columnist and author, Kwak Jung-eun.
(The woman who speaks her thoughts, Kwak Jung-eun)
How did you get the courage to talk on the streets?
I've given lectures to hundreds and thousands of people
but for busking with words,
if I can communicate even with person, I think that's really meaningful.
At first, everyone says they'll try their best if there's at least one person
but it's not like that later.
But if I get nervous and do things I haven't done before,
there's always growth after.
You're known to be a dating professional.
You get a lot of counseling requests, right?
How's the ratio?
Surprisingly, pretty even.
Really?
Yeah, a lot of men come too.
There's a question that makes me think, "Wow, the generations really have changed."
They say...
"My girlfriend has a higher sexual drive than me."
"So it's hard for me to handle."
I get those too.
What do you have to do?
That's strong.
How do you answer that?
For things people want to be content,
you can't help but have differences.
I think the only thing that could close that gap is communication.
Even if I clearly deliver my message,
if the other person says, "Why would you say that?"
then I say there's no possibility there.
That's a really textbook answer
but people must ask you things like that a lot.
He's insulting me.
No, no.
No, I--
Similarly, a lot of people ask me about current events through SNS
but a lot of people ask even though they know the answer.
They want confirmation.
I think it's important who's getting confirmation from who.
Then did you never ask anyone when you had questions?
What is this?
I wanted to ask Kwak Jung-eun.
You said to talk freely.
R-Raise your hand.
(The MC feels left out)
He didn't raise his hand.
That's why we felt lost.
There's no order.
You have to raise your hand.
Next.
The loner who desperately looked for someone to heal his scars.
The one who fired up hip hop with rapid rapping.
Rapper Outsider.
Hello, I'm the fastest rapper in Korea, rapper Outsider.
Wow, that's fast.
Did you drink helium gas?
That wasn't rap. I was talking.
How have you been?
I've been sick.
My heart was hurting a lot.
I took a break for about 3~4 years.
A lot of things happened all at once.
After the song "Loner" received much love,
I got vocal cord nodules
so I suddenly stopped working.
And then I went to the army.
2 years passed by in the army.
And after I came back, I got married.
I know. Congratulations.
While preparing marriage,
my wife was diagnosed with cancer.
So she got a surgery
and all those things happened all at once.
But luckily, my wife is all recovered
and recently, I got a beautiful daughter.
So I came back with a happy heart.
What's your daughter's name?
Shin Eero-oon.
So she'd become a beneficial person to the world.
That's such a great name.
Where did you get an inspiration for that name?
I hate disses.
And I wanted my daughter to become a good influence to others too.
But what if...
your daughter says she wants to become a rapper who disses?
The best in Korea.
The best in the field.
Let's hear Outsider's rapid rapping.
Can you beatbox for me then? You're good at it.
How fast do you want the bpm?
Haha can do anything.
Around 90.
(Haha's beatbox begins)
A little faster.
(Shall we pick up the pace?)
(The rap is getting faster and faster)
(Can't breathe)
(Haha gets a headache)
(Haha almost died for them to hear the rap)
How did you get the courage?
As I said earlier,
so many things happened all at once.
But what I did in that time was...
even if I didn't come out on TV,
I tried to find places where I could tell my story.
So I started going on lecture stages for the youth.
Planned by yourself?
So I visited youth all over the country
and I communicated with the youth for 4 years straight.
So I was able to get their energy.
They gave me courage.
Things didn't work out,
but I want to share that hard story to many people.
That's how I decided to come out.
(Busking with words on a whole new level)
I feel like I just watched a concert.
(Captures all eyes and ears) It's like a musical!
(Busking that's different from others)
(Will begin soon)
Now, where is today's busking location?
Let us connect to the site.
Where is it?
It's Wangsipri Station.
Forecaster Kim Min-ah.
Haheeyeol~
Hello, I'm forecaster Kim Min-ah.
She has a different hair line now.
I almost didn't recognize her.
Yes, today's busking location is where 4 subway tracks meet--
the Wangsipri Station square.
Around 5:30PM when busking will begin,
the temperature here will be 16 degrees.
the sky will be clear but there will be a chilly wind
so you will need to dress warm.
Thank you!
How should we go?
It's time to leave.
If you watched our show, you'll know
that we have a "word mouth" back there.
If you open that,
we'll teleport
to Wangsipri.
You might get sucked into a wormhole.
Be careful.
(Ah, so bright)
(Haha gets sucked in right away) Do we really have to do this?
(Joon-suk goes in too)
I'm gonna see how you do it!
Faster than anyone, different from others!
(Rapid passing)
I'm watching, Jung-eun.
I really...
I'm coming!
(Take me too)
(Let's go to the talk road!)
(Arrives at the talk road at an instant)
(The buskers arrive safely)
How does it feel to be here?
This is where you'll be busking.
I've done something different in this place.
I've done campaigns here.
But it feels different from that time.
I want to talk comfortably today.
What a pro.
Since we have to set up our plans,
let's go to our waiting area.
Let's go.
(Moves to the waiting area)
(What will today's busking be like?)
From now on, you'll be doing relay busking.
We want to emphasize this.
It's not a competition. We're a team.
The order is really important.
We have to set the order.
Since I haven't been on a show for a while,
I'll go second.
The first is a bit of a pressure.
The first and the last are a bit harder.
But usually, the people who want to go first
have great stories and seem really cool.
I guess I should go first.
(Takes the bait right away)
She wants to be cool.
Then it'll be Kwak Jung-eun, Outsider, and then Lee Joon-suk.
What are you doing?
Get out!
(First busker Kwak Jung-eun steps out)
(Nervous)
She has to lead it well.
(She enters the Wangsipri Station square)
(Hesitant)
Oh no!
What am I gonna do?
(Getting nervous as she sees the square)
She's nervous.
Oh my god.
She's so nervous.
I thought Jung-eun was a really confident lady.
(Empty)
(Look)
(Who is it?)
Uh... I...
Can you come listen?
I think our program is somewhat known now.
They're getting the cushions by themselves.
Something really cool is happening.
Hello!
(A cool happening where people are sitting on their own)
Thank you.
Do you know me?
(Yes!)
What do you think I'll talk about?
Dating?
Something sexual?
That's what you wanted to hear, right?
Yes.
I came out to talk about something else today.
I started coming out on entertainment shows 3 years ago.
Through a program called "Witch Hunt."
As my face became known,
I ended up getting extreme ends of answers.
One was...
"Kwak Jung-eun is such an honest, confident, and cool woman!"
That was one.
Another one was...
"Kwak Jung-eun seems so insecure.
Why does she act so confident?"
I was so confused.
I was just saying my opinions and working.
But hearing that made me think.
Who am I?
Am I a person with high self-esteem
or low self-esteem?
Thinking about it,
I came to a conclusion.
I used to have low self-esteem.
But I tried hard
and became someone with high self-esteem.
Now you have an idea of what I'm going to talk about today, right?
I came out to talk about self-esteem.
We talk about self-esteem a lot, right?
We say it's really important.
But to have high self-esteem,
to live a life that really respects yourself,
what do you really need?
The one most important thing is...
becoming someone who can really like yourself.
When I was young,
my nickname...
was 'Ugly.'
'Ugly'?
My sister has a small face,
big eyes,
and is tall.
But compared to her, I was always fat,
always eating a lot,
always had a sad face,
and so I heard that a lot.
Your sister's pretty, what about you?
How could a girl eat so much?
How could a girl have such a frowning face?
You won't be loved.
I heard those a lot.
But hearing those things,
I became daunted.
Since I was very young.
When I was young, my dad ran a paint rent store
and oftentimes I was with my dad.
One morning, he said...
Our first customer today was a girl with glasses.
Today's business is going to be really bad.
He said that.
Hearing that,
I felt uneasy.
I'm a girl too.
Why is it that if a girl like her is the first customer of the day,
business is going to be bad?
Should I...
not go to other stores early in the day either?
Are girls unlucky beings like that?
I started thinking those things.
I believe that these biased words...
have a huge influence on making it hard for women to love themselves.
I heard those things a lot myself
and I think I tried really hard to fit in the standards of the society.
I got plastic surgery.
I got braces.
And I worked hard for a diet.
But do you think those things raised by self-esteem?
No.
Because no matter how much prettier and skinnier I became,
when I went out on the streets, there were tons of people prettier than me.
And so many people skinnier than me in the celebrity world.
I couldn't raise my self-esteem with things like that.
Then how do you think I raised my self-esteem?
It was the work that I chose.
Work.
The work that I chose...
is being able to write what I want, say what I want,
and using the talents that I have.
Doing those things gave me much more self-esteem
than anything else I did to my appearance.
There are many more biases in the society
that makes women have low self-esteem than men do.
As this is so,
to break out of that,
we need to put in more efforts.
Not the standards that the society gives us
but living a life that I choose to live.
I think that's what's more important.
And I really want to say this to my dad.
You were a sacrifice of biases too
and a victim.
And despite all that,
luckily I became someone who wants to live without those stereotypes.
I think that's exactly what I want to say.
Jung-eun is talking from a woman's point of view
but I hear a lot of things like that about being young.
Then you become confused about your identity
and I need to put in efforts to overcome those.
I did so many things, like waxing up my hair.
But that wasn't the root.
Next, what I think is important to raise your self-esteem...
is having an intimate relationship with a good person.
"I'm having a hard time."
"This wasn't the love that I wanted."
"Why is dating so painful?"
Most women who ask these things
had one thing in common.
It was...
that they were afraid of being alone.
I think I need to confess something that can be heartbreaking.
It's my story that I haven't told anywhere else.
That day was just like any other days.
My dad went to the construction site
and my mom went out for a delivery.
One man came in with a hat on.
He asked, "Where did your mom and dad go?"
so I said, "Dad went out for work and Mom went out for delivery to Incheon
so she won't be back for a while."
(The 5-year-old Jung-eun who answered honestly)
The man sat down in the sofa inside the store
and he put me on his lap.
Before I could say anything,
he started taking off my pants.
What?
I knew instinctively.
"Something is going very wrong."
So I screamed the loudest I can.
The man got surprised,
threw me out,
and ran out.
That wasn't the last time I got sexually harassed.
In middle school,
there's something people call "hit and run."
I thought it was something only I experienced
but it was something many women went through.
(Means hitting breasts and running away)
Do you know what it means when you hear that?
"Hit and run" is something people use a lot?
(Such a common act for there to even be a term for it)
Someone did that to me from the back in middle school too
and in high school,
there was a time I ran into a man who wanted to reveal his private area to me.
And while I was working, I went on a business trip alone
and the man who joined my business trip on the site
suddenly came into my hotel room
and I barely got to run away before something was about to happen.
What's surprising
is that when I bring this up, all of my friends say it too.
That they've had similar experiences.
That it's not something only I went through.
This isn't something that only happened to Jung-eun.
It happens to many women.
Women, since we are young,
are exposed to little and big sexual harassment like this.
But as these small and big sexual harassment add up,
what conclusion would be made in our hearts?
There was one thing common about all of my experiences
and it's that they happened while I was alone.
Oh, I must be in danger when I'm alone.
Oh, women need guardians.
We end up making those conclusions.
I was someone working confidently,
but there was always those things in my heart.
"I can't be alone."
"I'm pathetic if I age without a spouse."
Things like that.
So since I should have a husband,
I thought, 'I need to get married.'
So I hurried and decided to get married.
And the result of that was becoming alone again in less than a year.
For me to accept the fact that I'm okay even when I'm alone,
I had to pay a huge tuition.
But you don't have to pay that tuition.
One thing I was surprised about myself...
was that more than when I desperately want someone,
when I trust myself...
I become happier and stronger than anyone else.
When you develop the little faith that you're okay even when you're alone,
you become someone who can choose
someone you're happy to be with even if you're okay being alone.
I want to move onto my last point.
But before I say it...
it's a little rated R
so if there are parents with children,
you may freely leave.
(Strict prevention system)
One last important thing...
is knowing your sexual desires well
and becoming honest about those desires.
In the magazine company I worked in,
there was a survey we did for single women.
The question was, "Was there a time you lied that7 it was good when it wasn't?"
A lot of guys ask.
Right? "Was it good?"
What... How...
It's not like people learn but they all ask the same question.
It's so odd.
We had that survey for 4~5 years straight
and we kept getting the same results.
If we asked 10 people,
7 of them would say, "Yes, I've lied."
We asked why.
"Because I don't want to hurt his feelings."
That's what they said.
But in that answer, I believe there's a hidden answer.
That is...
"Do it for me like this."
"I like that."
The moment you say something like that...
you're afraid what your boyfriend will think.
What do people say about a guy's first experience?
They say it's "taking off a scab."
What about for a woman?
"Losing purity."
That's the view we have towards men and women.
So men are confident about their previous experiences or what they're able to do
but the moment women say their preferences,
they think their dirty past is revealed.
So they're not able to confidently say their desires.
From now on...
I hope you can say them honestly.
Not, "What will he think if I say this?"
but "If I say this and you can't accept it, you're the weird one!"
I think it'd be good if we could think that way.
The fact that she could talk about this on the street...
She's so respectable.
On the streets,
where I don't know how my experiences will be perceived...
I was able to confidently hold the mic
because those experiences no longer have any influence on me.
When I talk alone,
people might say, "I heard those things happened to Kwak Jung-eun when she was young!"
Tomorrow morning,
there may be articles that say "Kwak Jung-eun, shocking past confession!"
But when many women in the society could say,
"That happened to me too!" and "Me too, but it's okay,"
I believe this will become not a special experience I had
but one we could all relate to and talk about.
What were the stereotypes you experienced?
I hope you'll be able to declare it too.
Saying, "I will not lose to those experiences."
As you make those declarations in your heart,
I genuinely hope this busking gave you a little bit more push.
Thank you.
Thank you!
(Touched)
We're more thankful.
I heard Jung-eun talk about other people a lot
but it's my first time seeing her talk about herself.
You know what you said happened to you when you were young?
Did you not tell anyone after that happened?
That's an important question.
The first time I talked about that...
was 3 years ago.
To my mom.
I was able to say it to my mom only after 30 years passed.
After I said it to her at age 35,
she was really surprised
and said she was sorry.
But I said, "Mom, I'm able to say it because it's nothing to me now."
"But I did get really shocked. It would've been good if you were here."
It took me 30 years,
but I hope
that other women will be able to confess it in shorter time.
Maybe not on the streets like me
but just to be able to say, "This happened to me, but that can't shake me."
That way, it becomes a voice.
(Let our voices become a voice)
I didn't know I'd end up talking for this long.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you.
(First busking over)
She was so nervous earlier!
She's a liar!
(The donations collected will be used for good causes through Happy Bean)
(Embarrassed)
- I don't know how the time passed. - Her hand is so cold.
It got really cold as soon as I started.
(The road has gotten pretty chilly)
You know the guy from 30 years ago?
Do you have anything you want to say to him right now?
Gosh, that's making me tear up.
I hope he apologizes to me, even from far away.
I never heard an apology.
It's a memory that I just recovered on my own.
I hope he apologizes.
And as she said, it's getting cold.
You need to hurry-- What are you doing?
Get out!
(Great hostess) We've never had a guest like this!
That makes me feel great!
What is that?
(What is that?)
Since it's busking...
I brought a speaker.
Are you going to rap?
You'll see.
(Spoiler banned)
I'll be back.
Go!
(Outsider steps out)
Go.
(Enters the talk road)
He's outside.
Right?
That was natural.
(Relaxed)
Ah, ah.
Mic test, mic test.
Hello, everyone.
Do you know who I am?
No!
Do you know "Loner"?
Not "I'm a Loner".
I'm a loner~ I'm a loner~
Is there anyone to cure my hurts?
Do you know who I am?
I came out to talk to you for about 15 minutes.
If you want to join me,
please gather in the square.
The national rapid rapper, Outsider.
(Cheers)
(Passionate male students)
The male students are supporting him.
He has so much confidence.
He's doing it as he's going down the stairs.
I should've done it like that too.
It's pretty cold...
but I'll say a bit warmer things with you today.
If you're cold,
I prepared hot packs.
Share the hot packs with those around you.
He prepared hot packs.
We prepared those.
As if he prepared them.
Since a lot has gathered,
I'll begin.
You haven't seen me in a while, right?
Do you know who I am?
Who am I?
Outsider!
Do you know what I do?
Rapper!
Rap.
What kind of rap?
Fast rap!
Rapid rap. Fast rap.
Can you guys do rapid rap?
No.
No, you can.
At this time, with me...
Today isn't busking.
Is this recreation?
It's like an event.
You can do it!
Faster than anyone, different from everyone. Faster than--
Anyone!
- Different from-- - Everyone!
Faster than anyone, different from everyone. Faster than--
Anyone!
Different from--
Everyone!
The magician who draws a scale on the stage!
Hello, I'm Outsider!
(Rap god!)
That was him introducing himself!
He's so cool.
He completely attracted their attention.
When I do fast rap like this,
a lot of people say they feel some type of relief.
So they say, "Like his rap, his life must've worked out great too."
But the Outsider standing in front of you right now
didn't live a life that worked out great.
I was someone who had a hard time because it never worked out.
So what I want to talk about with you here today...
is the guy whose life didn't really work out
revealing his story.
Why it didn't work out,
and how I'm going to solve it from now on.
I prepared a time to talk about myself and to listen to your stories.
There are more people than when I did it
so I feel a bit jealous.
What is this?
Didn't you say you want to communicate just to one person?
I told you.
It really does make you feel this way.
Since I was young,
I really loved writing.
So my dream...
wasn't becoming a rapper, singer, or a celebrity.
It was becoming a writer.
And becoming a journalist was my dream.
I spent my school days writing everyday
and then I took the college entrance exam.
To tell you the conclusion first,
I bombed my test.
It dropped 97 points from the mock test.
It was so hard for me then.
Why?
6 years in elementary school, 3 years in middle school, 3 years in high school.
For a total of 12 years,
we study and compete to go to college or to achieve some type of dream.
But the fact that depending on one test,
my dream could change was so hard to face for me.
The exam ended and it was almost graduation.
Someone called my school.
It was the Seoul City Hall.
Oh, there's a certificate we didn't give you. Come get it.
But the guy who worked in the City Hall
said this to me:
"I've worked here for about 10 years
and this is the first time the first place winner didn't pick up their certificate."
So I asked him what that meant
and he said on the national essay writing competition in my senior year,
I got 1st place.
Wow!
On the essay competition?
I got first place in the country
but I didn't get the certificate.
Why?
They called the school
but the call didn't go through because the one in charge changed
and they called my house
but my parents were out at work
so there was no one home to pick up the call.
No one got the call
so I couldn't get my certificate even after getting 1st place.
This counts in going to college, right?
- I think so. - Of course.
He would've been a great candidate.
And he lost that chance.
Due to someone else's fault...
has something like this ever happened to you?
How do you think I felt?
- Mistreated. - Right?
Of course.
What else?
- Annoyed. - Right?
What else?
- So angry. - Angry!
Feel mistreated, annoyed, and angry.
I needed someone to resent at the time
and I resented my mom for not picking up the phone.
So resenting my mother,
I went to a school I didn't want to go to for a major I didn't want.
Living everyday doing what I didn't want to was like hell
so the anger and resentment in me and the stories I wanted to tell--
I wanted to let them out somehow.
So I thought I should rap
so I dropped out of school and jumped into the underground hip hop scene.
But the underground hip hop scene that I jumped into
was not easy.
It wasn't easy.
But I didn't rest.
(Is... Is that a rhyme?)
1 year, 2 years, 3, 4, 5 years...
Time passed by but my passion did not die.
Gosh.
Stop him now. He's way too cool.
We can't have someone cooler than us.
That's not what we wanted.
Since it's hip hop.
It wasn't easy but I didn't rest and kept writing lyrics.
I went on stage and with the passion that didn't die,
after spending 8 years of my 20s underground
I finally debuted onto the music industry where I came on TV.
But the music industry that I debuted into was not easy either.
What did I do?
- You didn't rest! - What did I do?
Didn't rest!
My passion--
didn't die
It wasn't easy but I didn't rest and my passion didn't die.
It's a bit too cheesy.
Once is enough, he should stop now.
We're thankful for things like that.
She's jealous.
After debuting,
the views of those around me changed a lot.
I was treated as if I really became a celebrity.
But I...
couldn't earn a single dollar after debuting.
It didn't go well.
But people around me treating me highly and supporting me
made me feel so good
and I wanted to keep that.
So I pretended.
I pretended to be a great celebrity to my friends.
I bought expensive things to my girlfriend.
That I'm famous,
that I'm close to Girls' Generation.
That I'm close to Big Bang, we shared a waiting room.
I made these jokes and lies
and lived my life, pretending to be a famous celebrity.
You know what I heard the most in those hard times?
"You're making a mistake!"
You're making a mistake. What?
You're making a mistake...
Louder!
You're making a mistake.
Louder!
You're making a mistake.
Don't repeat after him!
Get yourself together.
I'm getting sucked in.
I end up repeating after him.
I wanted to confidently tell them that it's not true.
To my friends, family, relatives, and the world.
That I'm not making a mistake.
Why? It was so happy to be doing what I wanted to do
and I loved the life of making a decision led by my passion.
So I wanted to prove and show to the world that I'm not making a mistake.
(You're the best)
Is this a revival night for rappers?
I think he can become a pastor.
The decision of my passion.
My mom Ok-jung.
I'm sorry.
I tried to become someone like that
so I kept pretending.
But I couldn't earn a single dollar
and because of that,
to keep that kind of life,
without my friends and family knowing,
after my schedules were over,
I would change at a nearby mart
and work.
(A confession they've never heard before)
I still remember.
After finishing a music program schedule in January,
I went to a mart,
wore a green top,
and scanned barcodes faster than anyone, different from everyone.
I was working
and something felt wrong.
I raised my head to get money
He raised his head--
and in front of me...
my girlfriend was standing there.
And...
the next day, I got a text.
I'm embarrassed of you. Let's break up.
That's what the text said.
Why are these things only happening to me?
I got 1st place but couldn't get the certificate
so I couldn't go to college.
Why are unfortunate things only happening to me?
Even after debuting, I couldn't earn a single dollar.
So I pretended to be a famous celebrity even at the cost of working at a mart.
Why is this happening to me?
So I decided.
I have to find the answer myself.
I should have a genuine conversation with myself.
I threw my card away,
and with the little cash and one bag,
I went on a trip to find myself on a bicycle.
On the 10th day of that trip...
the highway where I was biking
became completely dark
and I couldn't see the exit.
I didn't even see a single light.
My legs hurt and I started losing consciousness.
Oh, even here, I'm alone.
Even here, no one helps me.
Even here, I'm a loner.
In that darkness,
when I was alone,
without thinking,
I just threw myself into the road full of racing cars.
I just threw myself
and a huge truck braked and looked at me with a really appalled face.
I said to the truck driver.
What do you think I said?
Save me.
Please give me a ride.
I'm so cold and so hungry.
Please save me.
But that driver...
smiled...
put me and my bike in his truck,
and bought me
the most delicious food I've ever eaten, boiled egg and warm milk.
And he patted me on my back. That's when I realized.
Oh, I only resented the world
and only thought I was alone.
But I can be with somebody.
And I can be happy when I am with somebody.
That's what I realized.
And the flaws and weaknesses that I found in myself on that trip,
I started putting them in my lyrics, just the way they are.
And the music I wrote on that trip is--
Please don't say it's "Loner."
And the music I wrote on that trip is--
"Loner."
He turned it on!
It's like we're watching a musical!
Take the plug out!
This is way too cool.
I'm getting too into it.
Don't do it!
(So into it)
Clap!
(Is there anyone to cure my hurts?)
(Keeps getting infected if you just leave it)
(So scared of love and people)
(Afraid being alone, afraid of being forgotten)
(Is there anyone to cure my hurts)
(Keeps getting infected if you just leave it)
(So scared of love and people)
(Afraid of being alone, afraid of being forgotten)
(The loner always shuts his heart)
(The idiot who lives with sadness)
(Closed both his eyes, blocked both his ears)
(Lock myself into pitch darkness)
(365 days, all year)
(Jack Sparrow is after my lost spirit)
(Spinning hurricane, tightened belt)
(The guy who is lost, lost his direction)
(Endless fight with another self in me)
(She said to me as she left me)
(That even while being next to me, it was as if I wasn't there)
(The knife-like person that cuts you when you touch him)
(The cold love with a frozen heart)
(It wasn't living even for 1 second)
(So afraid of every single day)
(May day, someone let me out)
(Coolness overload)
(Wow...)
I got chills.
What are you gonna do, Joon-suk?
What am I gonna do?
He prepared something so genuine.
He prepared his own busking.
I resented my mom,
resented the world, resented my friends...
and resented my girlfriend.
But as "Loner" became known to more people,
my perspective of the world started to change.
What's really important is...
like the time I begged a stranger on the road to save me,
why couldn't I be honest and ask for help from those around me?
Why did I live my life resenting the world, my mom, and my girlfriend?
I realized that for the first time.
What's important--
is not pretending to be pretty, strong, wealthy, neat, and great.
Not in the pretending.
But when you can be honest the way you are,
being able to say you're lonely when you're lonely--
that's when we can live together.
Admitting yourself honestly and letting it out.
How powerful that is...
I hope you realize that too.
And lastly...
when you are able to let out your honest confessions,
you all...
many of you may think you're an outsider, living outside the world,
but I believe you all could be insiders too.
Please be people who can be honest with yourself.
Okay?
Joon-suk has gotten significantly quieter than before.
Watching his busking.
I'll compete with my own style.
Of course.
Anyone can be insiders, living a happy life with someone else.
You too. You too.
And you.
And you, and you, and you...
And me too!
I'll end it there.
Thank you, I'm Outsider!
(Outsider's busking over)
(A whole new busking)
(This... cool guy)
(Adds to the cheer)
(Yay)
I feel like I watched a concert.
I knew it.
I feel like I watched a concert.
I'm gonna try it when I get home.
To my family. "And you, and you, and you.."
And me too.
I think a lot of people will donate.
A lot of people gathered.
And it'll be like a concert fee, almost.
It's starting to bother you, right?
(The rap god comes back)
(Hello, cool guy) It was like a concert.
What are you gonna do?
I didn't know such things happened to you, Ok-chul.
Sit, Ok-chul.
I didn't know you'd do a concert.
I didn't know you had such bright energy either.
You seem like such a shy guy.
It was about here.
I used to be really shy.
But your whole impression changed.
I thought I'd be so unhappy to live like that my whole life
so I let myself go.
Where'd you buy this necklace?
You seem good. Is this a health necklace?
How hard he worked for this was shown through every single comment he said.
The fact that high schoolers were so into it, listening like this...
was so respectable.
He's not the type to compliment others.
A lot of time passed.
It's 7:10 now.
We only have the last busking left.
Starting now, the temperature changes a lot.
It's the last.
I'll do great as the last one.
What are you doing?
Get out!
(Busker Lee Joon-suk sets out)
(Sigh~)
(Nervous even with a lot of campaign experience)
(It's Lee Joon-suk)
(Joon-suk walks into the crowd)
Hello!
I'm Lee Joo-suk.
Hello.
It got really cold all of a sudden.
but there are some things I want to say to you.
Can you come sit?
It'll be about 15~20 minutes.
I want to share some things
that were always edited out whenever I said them on a show.
I want to share them.
The citizens are backing away for the first time.
(Busking in danger?!)
I hope we can have a conversation.
Please.
90 degree bow.
This program teaches you humility.
It's so warm but so cruel.
I'm going to start now!
Please come!
They're starting to gather.
(Kind citizens joining)
(Lee Joon-suk's busking START)
Some of you may know me as a politician.
Others may know me as an entertainer.
Recently...
even I'm confused at times what kind of life I'm living.
There's a variety.
But what kind of person is Lee Joon-suk?
I want to share with you what I thought.
This April,
I went out on the elections...
and lost.
But a lot of people said to me...
You're from Sangkye-dong?
(Joon-suk's hometown receives much attention after elections)
There's Danggogae Station at the end of line 4, right?
That's my hometown.
That's where I used to live.
There's only one reason I used to live there when I was young.
My father used to work in Seoul Station.
He worked for Daewoo that was at Seoul Station.
He was like the main character of "Misaeng" at the time.
So the best place to go to work to Seoul on the subway...
and the best place to get on the subway...
and the cheapest places to live from those places,
which was Nowon-gu Sangkye-dong.
Sangkye-dong is where they made a row of apartments in the 80s.
They tried to make a town for the middle-aged people.
And he's from there.
Are you from real estate?
What I thought most about when I was young...
My father who would go to work that's 30 minutes away...
If he could somehow get home sooner,
he could play with me.
He could spend 10 more minutes with me.
I was a kid who thought that.
20~30 years later,
I went back to my hometown and met kids.
Hey, do you need anything?
When I asked that,
they were so simple.
"I want Dad to come home earlier."
It's easy to say, but how could that be achieved easily?
But I felt that heart.
I understand 100%.
My older brother lived in Ahnsan.
And he has a kid so I went to go see them.
I got the call that he's at a day care
so I went to go get him.
That city had a lot of families where both parents are working.
A lot of working parents.
My nephew was playing and I said Hyeon-seo~
and he was just looking at me.
And what passed by my head at that moment...
was myself at age 4.
My mother raised me alone
and she worked.
So I was always in the playroom inside the apartment, alone.
My nephew was there
and as I was bringing him out, I couldn't stop crying.
I think that's what he's talking about.
When I was young,
I lived in a great neighborhood.
It was such a hopeful city.
From apartment 1 to 17, they were all the same.
So talking with my friends when I went to school,
I've never felt any type of incompatibility.
If you ask, "What does your dad do?"
then they'd say, "He works at a company."
You ask, "What does he take to go to work?"
they'd say, "Subway line 4."
Everyone else too.
Have you been on the plane?
Not a single student in my school had been on a plane.
(That's how it was back then)
I studied in America for 4 years.
When I came back...
I met middle school students.
"If you study hard...
you can get a good job," I said.
That's obvious.
But do you know what they said?
"Mr. Lee, the world isn't like that anymore."
That's what they said.
Based on my experiences that you can do anything if you try,
I said that to them but that was their response.
I was shocked.
Honestly, I didn't know my career path would change like this.
I'm originally a computer programmer.
But people change.
One thing you don't know about me is...
I'm running a volunteer organization for education.
We teach math to low-income middle school students.
We teach students in all middle school ages.
But one student that I really loved, after graduating,
came to see me.
She said, "Teacher, I have something to say."
She was a young girl in the last year of middle school.
She flipped up her skirt all of a sudden.
So I asked, "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"
But on her thighs...
There were two red lines.
I was so shocked, I asked, "Why are there red lines on your thighs?"
And she said..
"I've been abused by my mom for 13 years."
I didn't believe her even after she said that.
I said, "I know your mom, and she's not like that."
And "How do you get red lines like that when you get beat at home?"
and she said to me...
"Since I entered the second year of middle school,
I became taller than my mom
and became stronger than her
so from then, when she hits me,
she ties me up in a chair."
(Oh my goodness)
It was such a shock to me.
As I learned in a textbook,
if there are children who can't live at home,
we have to send them to facilities.
So I rescued her
and took her there.
But to me...
that incident comes to me as shock about a year later.
That student had another chance to talk to me.
"Teacher.
I don't get hit at home now.
I get hit by other students here."
My trust for the society's system was ruined that day.
The fact that there was nothing I could do...
as I was watching the student I love so much get her life ruined...
I was in despair.
So I changed directions little by little
and started to think about what I could do.
That's what I went through.
While living, you may see the dark sides of the society
and find things that you really wish changed.
When that happened, the decision I made was...
that I'll change it myself.
For the people that I love,
I need to do something.
That's what I thought.
And when I got the offer to do politics,
that popped up in my head.
If I get the chance to change something for the people I love...
it's worth a try.
I'm not stupid
so I could live fine, doing what I want to do.
I knew well that I could go into politics and get insulted for it.
Going into politics at a young age at this point in time...
is much harder than before.
Those who have set up certain standards in the society after succeeding in life
enter around 40s and then do politics in 50-60s.
But going into it in early 20s...
is very unique...
That's how many see it.
But if I say this to those who are here right now,
you may not be able to relate.
"You studied all you want,
and you’ve done some things until now so it's not hard for you.
But I don't know where to begin.
And I don't know what to do."
Some will say this.
But...
I want to say that we should start with the little things.
I heard this from a student.
The student really wanted to change the school food.
One day, they got fishcake soup.
But there was barely any fishcake in the soup.
And his problem was, "Does this make sense?"
So I asked, "What can you do?"
and he said he loves doing SNS.
He wanted to create something where one student from each school all over the country
posts a picture of their lunch
and tag each part of the lunch plate with the menu.
What if you do #fishcake soup?
Then you can see all the fishcake soups that came out for lunch all over the country.
Then you can see what your school's quality is like in comparison.
"But hey, doing that...
won't change the world right away.
It could just end in a hobby.
If you really want to change the world with that,
there will be hardships. What will you do?"
That's what I threw at him.
But the creativity of a high schooler...
was unimaginable.
If you create a page where they could just share pictures of their lunch,
"Moms will take care of the rest!" is what he said.
(Can't argue with that)
The reason I'm telling you this...
I started politics with the faith that politics could change the world.
But...
I realized that faith was a little wrong.
Change...
I hope you don't see it as anything crazy.
I want us to make little changes.
As those changes pile up,
the world that you dreamed of when you were young...
we'll try our best to create that.
I want you to have many chances of hearing a variety of stories.
Thank you.
I hope you get home safely today.
Thank you!
(Lee Joon-suk's busking over)
Don't forget.
If you can,
if you scan your card there, it'll be used for good causes.
Thank you.
(Great job)
(Citizens showing their hearts at the busking)
(Great work)
(Today's team welcomes in Joon-suk warmly)
His hand is so cold.
Have a seat.
He said he went out in Sangkye-dong because he wanted his dad to come home earlier.
What's your dad's response now?
What my dad doesn't like...
is when I go out too much and bother people.
When I hurt people.
Oh, like when there are debates?
Whether they did wrong or not,
if I said something that could hurt them or their family...
he scolds me.
But if it's not that,
if I'm just voicing my opinions,
he tells me to say whatever I want
so I always have that engraved in me.
I'm curious after listening.
You're a part of the ruling party.
What's your perspective on how politics are today?
What's...
most unfair is...
there is a vision and a world that I want to change
but when I feel like it hasn't moved an inch towards that, I feel disappointed.
When I register for a party,
I know that this party is not perfect and that it doesn't align 100% with my values
but I go in it.
Then looking back on my 3~4 years in politics...
I think about whether I was able to pull it even a little towards that direction.
But recently, I feel like instead of pulling, I let it go a little bit.
So I want to pull it again.
The total we've collected through "As I Say" was $234.
This is really nerve-wracking.
We can't help but reveal Jung-eun's amount, who went first.
From there, we can't tell.
There's no way of knowing.
Jung-eun's amount is...
How much are you expecting?
$8?
She got it on the dot.
Really?
Did you tell her beforehand?
$28!
(Much higher than expected)
I think about 50 people were sitting earlier.
That means more than half donated.
That's really high.
Kwak Jung-eun, $28.
After adding Outsider's...
(Bursts into laughter)
It's shocking.
(Nervous)
$57.
(Relieved)
(Total higher than before)
(Doing mental math)
Get us a calculator from now on.
After adding Lee Joon-suk...
the total for today is...
We'll be right back after commercials.
(Look at that wit)
The total for today is...
$81!
(Crazy)
We did great!
Not just great!
(Amount has gotten much higher from last week)
There's the most important announcement left.
Wangsipri Station.
The return rate of the cushions is...
100%!
Everyone!
Come to Wangsipri Station!
(What is this program?)
One day...
if you run into us...
Everyone>
Haheeyeol~
Please greet us with that.
Starting with the staffs.
(The collection will be donated through Happy Bean)
What are you all doing?
Get out!
(Cool chic buskers on Yeouido)
Go on a date with me!
You haven't matured all the way yet.
What?
(Hwang Suk-jung's blunt busking!)
Teacher, what's our problem?
( Cartoonist Lee Jong-bum)
(The cold psychological counseling busking!)
We lie to each other, saying we're each other's first love.
(And Dana's honest dating counseling!)
(As I Say, Wednesday night 9:30PM!)
Subtitles by OnDemandKorea