The courageous have come out to talk.
- Wednesday night. - Busking with words.
- As I Say! - As I Say!
(As I Say)
Subtitles by OnDemandKorea
- Again, we have today's guests with us. - Yes.
Yoo Byung-jae and Jo Seung-yeon are...
- like the backbone of our show. - That's right.
Did you guys do it on purpose?
Don't you invite celebrities when Byung-jae comes on our show?
- Are you being considerate? - We have experts with us today.
Am I not a celebrity?
(He's very serious.)
You're really good at acting.
Today, we will begin our show without any celebrities.
We will go and do busking with these experts.
- Byung-jae has been on our show once before. - Yes.
How did you come on our show again?
Thankfully, they called me again.
- To be honest, I was feeling a bit cocksure. - I see.
For a moment, I thought I should reject the offer.
But what made me change my mind was...
a piece of advice Hee-yeol gave me during the last shooting.
- What advice? - What did I say?
He said, "Byung-jae, you're the typical flash in the pan."
(Byung-jae, you're the typical flash in the pan.)
(Satisfied)
- He's actually right. - Goodness.
I'm aware of that.
After he first came on our show,
he became the talk of the town.
And the video clip of his busking on YouTube got over 1.5 million views.
This is amazing.
Do you feel the popularity?
I did what I wanted to do on the show,
and I was happy since people liked it.
What I felt strange was...
when people saw me after the show aired...
Wow.
(The citizens looked somewhat determined.)
(Of course!)
- You became the President of citizens. - No, it's not like that.
- No, I'll resign. I mean... - You will?
I was really thankful,
but it was awkward.
- You should go on "JTBC Newsroom" then. - Right.
I think there are two ways. I should either work hard to get invited to the show...
or cause a huge trouble and be on the news.
(Mr. Yoo is arrested and puts people under stress.)
No way.
- Then why did you come on our show again? - Right.
I wanted to share my worries with other people and...
Don't lie.
That's what you always said.
I wanted to share my worries and get advice from people.
- Are you not going to talk about politics? - No, it's...
- You just want to get advice, right? - It will be more like a Q&A session.
- Like a Q&A session? - Like how Fish Writer did on the show.
- You're going to interact with the audience through Q&A. - Yes.
- I'm a little worried. - Yes.
- Okay. - Let me introduce our next busker.
Even brutal criminals become weak-kneed in front of this man.
He has arrested about 3,000 criminals for the past 32 years.
He's a former homicide detective, Kim Bok-jun.
- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
(Former homicide detective, Kim Bok-jun)
- Hello. - Are you still working as a detective?
No.
I served as a chief detective and retired three years ago.
- Now, I'm in a research institute that studies criminology. - I see.
I also give lectures regarding investigation.
Detectives don't normally wear a lot of gold though.
This is germanium.
Germanium?
I'm sure you have taken a lot of cases in the past.
Are there any cases we might know?
One of the famous cases was...
- Hwaseong serial murders. - Oh.
- We know the case. - It was made into a movie.
Hwaseong serial murder case is in...
the top 100 worst serial killing cases in the world.
The murders took place from September of 1986...
to April of 1991 in Hwaseong.
Ten people were killed.
At that time, the reality of Korea's scientific investigation was hopeless.
- Back then? - All they could do was to take fingerprints.
In the movie "Memories of Murder",
- the footprints of the killer were left on the ground. - Yes.
- But a tractor runs over them, right? - That's right.
That was actually the reality we had to face back then.
- Did that really happen? - It actually happened.
Also, there's another thing that we told the movie production crews.
There's a scene where Song Kang-ho...
- gets an IV shot near the reservoir. - Right.
Back then, detectives used to get IV shots like that.
Is that story about you?
- Yes. - Song Kang-ho?
We told them our story, and it was made into a movie.
So you're the real character that "Memories of Murder" was based on.
Our story became the motif of the movie.
- Does Song Kang-ho look like me? - Yes.
He resembles me since I'm older.
I'm not the one who resembles him.
- It's not really important. - That's not what we meant.
Regarding Hwaseong serial murder case,
didn't the statute of limitations expire?
It's the saddest part actually.
After the Tae-wan Incident,
our country removed the statute limitations for murder cases.
The culprit threw sulfuric acid on the child's face.
The child had to suffer for 49 days...
before he died.
That incident triggered an uproar, and it led to the removal...
of the statute limitations for murder cases.
Even if we arrest the killer of Hwaseong serial murder case,
- we can't make him stand at the bar. - Even if we arrest him?
But if he's still alive,
we can make him stand in front of the press, right?
I'd do anything to arrest him.
You look very determined.
I'm sorry but put your pen down, please.
- It's my habit. - Sorry.
He was a homicide detective.
- I think the sight of arresting culprits would look really cool. - I know.
In the movies,
the detectives look really cool.
But in reality, it's not that easy.
When I worked at the police station,
a culprit that I put on the wanted list...
was arrested in Seogwipo, Jeju Island.
So we went there to bring him to Seoul.
- So I had to handcuff him and myself together. - Like in the movies.
So I handcuffed us together and got on the plane.
Then the passengers on the plane gave us cold shoulders.
Later I realized that...
I was wearing an old jacket and didn't even shave...
after my night duty.
- Like a detective? - Yes.
The culprit was a swindler.
He was dressed up nicely.
Like this?
- So they thought you were the culprit. - When we got on the plane,
all the passengers...
looked at me.
- So I try to dress up. - I'm sorry.
To save my face, whenever people looked at me, I went,
"Behave well."
I tried to let them know that I'm the detective.
- Working as a detective isn't easy. - I see.
There was one thing I was curious about.
Wait, the atmosphere is quite strange today.
He's the guest today, and you two are like panelists.
That's what it feels like.
- You two are like Jo Young-gu and Cho Hyeong-gi. - That's right.
You two should be regulars on our show.
- There are names for gangs, right? - You mean the gangsters?
- There are names like Texas Gang... - Yes.
or Pupa Gang.
- How do they make names like that? - Well...
- The gang names are made by the police. - Really?
- So they didn't name their own gang? - Detectives are actually good name makers.
That's because...
if we ask the name of their gang, they say there's no name.
We have to call them somehow, right?
That's when the detective gives it some thought.
- Because they have to write the name down? - Yes.
There are places where they hang around.
In Ansan, there are the locals and foreigners.
So we named the gang Ansan Locals Gang.
Actually, the detectives name the gangs.
So it's pure luck. The name of the gang can sound either cool or pathetic.
- There are some unique gang names. - I'm curious.
It's pure luck.
There are many unique gang names. I don't know if you know them.
There is a famous gang in Jeju Island.
- Their name is Strawberry Flavor Seaweed Gang. - What?
Strawberry Flavor Seaweed Gang?
They call themselves Strawberry Gang in Jeju Island.
Before Strawberry Flavor Seaweed Gang was formed,
they called themselves the Tangerine Packing Gang.
Goodness.
Are you serious?
"Strawberry Flavor Seaweed" sounds like the name of an indie band.
Right?
(You can feel the sensitivity.)
- It's even more interesting than the movies. - I wish we could ask more questions.
Can I just listen to him talk and go home?
I'm sure there were dangerous moments...
- while you were working as a detective. - I'm curious.
There were dangerous moments.
I was walking down a street, but it felt strange.
It felt like someone was following me,
but when I looked back, there was no one.
Then somebody stabbed me from the back when I was caught off guard.
When I got stabbed, I thought I'd die if I let go of his hand.
So I was holding on to his hand and grabbed him by the collar.
In any case, he got arrested, and I survived.
It was a tough time for me.
- Why did you think you'd die if you let go of his hand? - When I give lectures,
I always teach them this.
If you get stabbed by someone, you have to grab his hand...
even if it's a deep wound.
If you let go of his hand, he will keep stabbing you.
You could get killed.
So grabbing his hand can save your life.
- It was a really dangerous situation. - Yes.
You encounter dangerous situations while doing your job.
- Isn't your family worried? - It's your safety that they're most worried about.
Actually, I don't really tell my wife...
what's on my mind.
After I retired from the Police Academy,
I got a lot of invitations to give lectures.
But I rejected all the offers.
- Why? - Because I don't want to belong to an organization.
I only want to belong to my wife.
What a romantic!
He's a romantic.
Actually, homicide detectives...
It's really sad to talk about this.
Their divorce rate is close to 40 percent.
- It's a difficult job. - You can't really take care of your family.
You can't even attend family events.
- So you become like an outsider. - I see.
- It's quite sad. - What you just said was really cool.
He belongs to his wife.
(Kim Bok-jun belongs to his wife.)
He's in the servant department.
You're right.
Wow.
How many children do you have?
I have only one daughter. I didn't have enough time to make more.
That's all.
- She will get married in January next year. - Good.
These days, one thought often comes across my mind.
What my life would look like after I marry off my daughter?
That thought makes me feel heavy.
You must have mixed feelings.
Have you prepared a present for your daughter?
I'm thinking of writing a letter to her...
- so that I can use it for her wedding. - Will you read it out at the ceremony?
Yes, I'm writing a letter for that purpose.
It seems to be the hardest letter to write in the world.
I've corrected it more than 100 times.
What about sending her a video message now?
That's a great idea.
- You can give it a try. - It must be quite meaningful for her.
I think I'm going to cry while doing it.
Well, my daughter.
I haven't really...
had time to care about you.
Be happy.
Live happily ever after.
That's it.
- My goodness. - Your daughter...
will understand how you had felt because she will become a parent soon.
He's such a romantic guy, indeed.
You're a fool.
A fool for your loving daughter.
Our second guest is a global linguistic expert and...
best-selling author, Jo Seung-yeon.
Hello.
As he has more things to say,
- he visited our show again. - I'm impressed.
- I came here again to regain my impaired reputation. - Impaired?
- You did very well. - Yes, you were amazing.
In terms of the amount of money donated after speech,
I set the lowest record in the history of show.
How did he know?
Before me or after me,
there was no one who raised only 8 dollars.
- Don't worry. - Right.
- There was one who raised less than you. - Really?
In our first episode, we had a guest called Fish Writer.
He raised only 6 dollars.
Yours was a lot higher than his record.
Anyway, I want to reset my second lowest fund raising record.
No, the amount of money doesn't matter at all.
It's good that 8 people donated for you.
These days, the average donation is about 100 dollars.
That's the average these days.
Even my stylist would be able to raise at least 25 dollars.
Today, I set a clear goal for the donation.
- That's good. - Yes.
My goal is 9 dollars.
Come on. That's too much for you.
- He set his goal too aggressively. - I'm worried.
Appearing in a variety show as a writer might...
not be quite easy for you.
At first, it was really difficult.
Writers are very used to refining what they want to say...
- dozens of times before they show it to others. - Right.
But the camera just catches what I say for the first time.
- It's like publishing my first draft. - You don't have time to refine.
(Played 10 times faster to save time)
Now, I realized something.
Filming is different from writing.
In books, I can express my thought in more detail.
(Continuing his lengthy talk about the importance of speaking short on TV)
It has to be different.
You want to appear in variety shows, right?
This is what I think. When I write a book...
Hey, please answer what I asked you only.
Please. You're such a chatterbox!
Mr. Kim. What if a criminal you caught...
- never stops talking like him? - He wouldn't stop talking about himself.
These days, the situation is very weird.
Unless you ask something, people wouldn't tell anything because they are not asked.
People would say something only when they are asked for.
That's a fad.
- My goodness. - I'm sorry.
Then I'm the right person for the fad.
Their teamwork is great.
(What a great team.)
(Coming up)
(Do you know "Detective Conan"?)
(After he gets strange medicine or a shot,)
(Conan became a young boy.)
(Funnier...)
(and wittier...)
(buskers are coming!)
(I'll do whatever I can.)
(Dreadful history repeats.)
(The king hired a shaman.)
(He killed innocent people.)
(Horrible)
(What's the solution the history gave us to the current chaos?)
(The best and finest busking that will make you get goosebumps is coming up.)
- It's time to go out. - Right.
Today, we're going to do busking in the hottest location these days.
We planned to go to Seoul Madang, Sejong-ro in Seoul.
But it's raining outside.
- So we changed the place for busking to where people wouldn't get wet. - Right.
The place we newly chose is...
the square at the first floor of Wangsimni Station.
- Let's go. - All right.
As we have a detective today,
we'll play the criminal.
You're supposed to chase us.
I've got an idea. Let's name our team first before we go out to the street.
- Byung-jae is really good at this kind of things. - No way.
Including Mr. Kim, what will be our team's name?
- Including Mr. Kim? - Yes.
Justice Bao...
Justice Bao?
- Good. - Justice Bao!
- I like it. - Let's take a picture together before we get started.
In 1, 2, 3.
(Justice Bao and four of his followers)
So you guys have to run away from him.
- Mr. Kim will be the last one to leave. - Okay.
Let's do it together.
(They start to play hide-and-seek.)
(Teasing him)
(Justice Bao looks too happy.)
Hey, let's get out of here!
(Running away)
(They went through the door in a blink.)
We've arrived at the first floor of Wangsimni Station safely.
- We have so many people around us. - We were not as popular as this.
People didn't really care us.
When we were standing like this, people just passed by us saying, "It's Haha."
Now many people recognize our show.
- Try our slogan. - Everyone, Ha Hee-yeol!
(It seems nobody understands it.)
We've got a long way to go.
- We have to work harder. - It means you should make more effort.
- Now let's go to our headquarter. - Let's go!
Let's go.
(Headquarter)
Now we need to decide the order of busking.
He decides the order. Tell us about the order today.
I think Byung-jae should go out there and attract the crowd first.
The role of the second busker is crucial.
I think Jo Seung-yeon should be the second busker and connect the other two.
The last busker...
- should be Kim Bok-jun. - Okay.
- He should wrap up the busking today. - Okay.
- Okay. - Okay.
When you're done, tell everyone that they should stay a bit longer.
Okay.
- Are you worried? - I'm worried.
- He's never done this before. - Right.
- All right. Byung-jae, it's your second busking today. - Yes.
How do you feel?
I'm worried, but I will do my best.
I'll try to be a regular on As I Say.
(Wow)
I'll try to be the Cho Hyeong-gi of As I Say.
Welcome.
- What are you doing? - Get out there!
He looks nervous.
Can I drink some water?
- Byung-jae, good luck. - Good luck.
- Good luck. - Gosh.
(Byung-jae who specializes in current affairs sets off.)
(Nervous)
- Wow. - I'm curious.
Hello.
- Yoo Byung-jae! - Yoo Byung-jae!
- Yoo Byung-jae! - Hello.
Should I stand here?
Nice to meet you. I'm Yoo Byung-jae.
He's like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Gosh.
I will start when everyone sits down.
It looks like there are about 200 people.
(Wangsimni Station Square is full of people.)
Hello, I'm Yoo Byung-jae.
(Anticipating)
Actually, it's my second appearance on As I Say.
Before I start, I have to repeat what I said during the first busking.
What I will say today isn't something amazing. I'll just talk about myself.
If you want to learn something from this busking,
you should leave now.
Writer Jo Seung-yeon...
and Professor Kim Bok-jun will do busking after me.
You should listen to what they have to say if you want to learn something.
Well, today,
I came here to share my worries with you.
Well...
I've been worrying a lot...
since I came on the show last time.
(He has worries.)
I made a few jokes about the current situation and politics of Korea on the show.
(While busking in Gangnam...)
("Reds" for leftists)
("Reds" for North Korea-following leftists)
(Byung-jae made a few jokes.)
Since then,
I've been worrying that people might have preconceptions...
about the comedy skits that I've been producing and will produce in the future.
He's talking about something different.
It has affected...
my everyday life.
I went to karaoke with my friend a while ago...
and sang "Red Camel" by Lee Seung-hwan.
("Red Camel"?)
I actually composed "Red Camel".
- Really? - I see.
He said, "You're a leftist. That's why you like Lee Seung-hwan."
Is he going to talk about it again? We're fooled again.
He said he's going to talk about himself.
I sang that song because I like the song.
So what I said is affecting my everyday life.
A while ago, my nephew came up to me and asked,
"Byung-jae, are you a leftist?"
He asked, "What is Reds?"
I was really shocked and told him that he shouldn't say that word.
I told him I don't even know the meaning...
and that a young kid like him should say that word.
I told him that's why he's not doing his homework properly. I scolded him.
Who is his nephew?
I want to see him.
I told him to focus on his homework because it was all wrong.
He got some math problems wrong, too.
- "What's 500,000 plus 200,000 plus 300,000?" - It's 1,000,000.
"Nope. It's 260,000."
Why is it 260,000?
"A cop counted it."
(That's correct.)
- It's like when the police do protesters estimations. - Yes.
When the police estimate the number of protesters...
- Why is it so different? - Just multiply three.
The reason for that is that police only deal...
within the area permitted for the protest.
They count 3 to 4 people per square meter.
So the people that come and go,
and the pedestrians on the sides are not calculated in.
- That's why when the police make those estimations, just multiply three. - Oh.
Without me even knowing,
I always tend to make these kinds of jokes,
so my sister really hates it.
She thinks I'm putting weird things in his head.
But I do want to play with the kid,
so when I'm with him, I give him a comic book.
It shouldn't be anything too provocative but something educational.
Do you know the cartoon "Detective Conan"?
("Detective Conan" is a high school student turned into a boy by an organization.)
(He solves difficult situations in place of a detective who cannot deduce.)
I said look, "This detective..."
"is the main character, and he's really good at deduction."
"But due to personal reasons, he can't do it himself."
"So he uses a boy in his place as he stays behind the scenes."
"He's controlling him from behind."
"There's also like a doctor or a scientist with this boy."
"The boy keeps getting free things from this man."
"Why he's giving him free things? I don't know. He must have a membership."
(He must have a membership.)
"And he's not normally a little kid."
"He took some weird drug or shot,"
"and he turned really young."
"The skin clinic... I don't think you should read this."
That's what I said.
(Dizzy)
This is part two of today's standup comedy.
He fooled us again.
This keeps happening before I realize.
So I figured if this is going to keep happening,
I might as well properly learn this stuff.
I honestly don't really know what liberal, conservative, or politics really are.
If you ask me...
Perhaps you feel the same.
I have certain images of liberals and conservatives,
but can you define them?
(Vague)
That's true.
The definition of liberal and conservative.
(An exact definition is hard to give.)
So I felt like I should start learning about all of this.
I started looking at a dictionary.
Let me tell you what I found in the dictionary.
"Depending on generational and historical background,"
"liberalism is relatively..."
"focusing on change rather than maintaining the current state."
"Conservatism means getting paid after the protest..."
What did he say?
- What did he say? - That's not right.
He's doing standup comedy.
I accidentally read the wrong definition.
"For conservatism, rather than changing the current state,"
"conservation and maintenance of it is preferred."
"Transition periods are taken slowly and changes are carefully made."
"They get paid after the protest..."
(Oh, no.)
(Laughing)
This is kind of confusing.
(The difficulty of these terms are made obvious.)
(What is that?)
Seriously?
(Dizzy)
He's really a comedian.
You may have noticed, but not 100 percent...
of what I've said is what really happened.
It's slightly adapted.
You can call it MSG.
Comedy is basically a satire.
Let's just call it all a lie. If I...
had to talk about my life...
on an interview or talk show and lie,
that may be wrong. But I am here...
to make jokes doing standup comedy.
I'd like to quote something from a movie I like.
It goes, "Politicians use lies to cover the truth up,"
"while artists use lies to tell the truth."
(Wow.)
That's why I think...
telling a comedian with a mic...
to only tell the truth is kind of harsh treatment.
So before I leave,
I'll try lying from beginning to the end.
Will that be okay?
- Yes! - Yes!
(He got people's permission.)
He sets himself up well.
So it's all a lie from here on out?
Let's hear it.
If you look back there,
the guy wearing khaki colored clothes is my manager.
(Byung-jae's manager)
They call themselves Taeyang and GD.
(They call themselves Taeyang and GD.)
I met my manager...
in the army, and we lived together for about 10 years.
I really love him the most in this world.
He's the most precious person to me.
(Byung-Jae...)
That's a lie.
He's not just my manager.
He styled my entire outfit today.
Actually, he wrote and edited everything...
I'm saying here today. That's a lie.
(That's a lie.)
(Straight-forward)
Recently, I went hiking with my manager.
It's becoming really cold in the mountain these days.
I'll go ahead and let you know what you need to know when hiking.
It's winter, so the ground is slippery. You have to wear crampons on your shoes.
The weather is cold, so be sure to wear several thin layers.
There's also risk of altitude sickness, so take Viagra. That's a lie.
(Getting a headache)
We went hiking, but the problem was...
I lost my manager.
It was a really dark night, too. Nights in the mountain are really dangerous.
Then I got a call from him.
He said, "Byung-Jae, where are you?"
I said, "I don't know. I don't see you."
He said, "If you have a match or something in your bag,"
"light it up and I'll find you."
I said, "I doubt that will work. The wind will blow the match out."
That was a lie.
But something made me really mad.
He said, "Hang on. My phone battery is almost dead."
"Let me just get a quick picture of the summit. Wait there for a bit."
A night in the mountain is so dangerous, and he wanted me to wait.
I got so mad I said, "Don't be ridiculous!"
"What if I die out here while you go up?"
"How much battery do you have left?"
He said, "I have about five percent."
I yelled, "If you have five percent, come down!"
"Don't be stubborn and come down!"
(I don't know.)
(It's a blow from Byung-jae's heart.)
He's talking about that five percent.
I kept yelling at him.
That was not a lie.
(Laughing)
This is all I've prepared.
Last time I was on here, we had a Q&A at the end.
I feel like I said a lot of heavy things here today,
so I will not be taking Q&A today.
I'll be sure to fully answer all your questions later.
(He immediately leaves the stage.)
What is that?
What is he doing?
What about all the people?
(Dumbfounded)
That was a lie.
(He came back.)
If anyone has a question, feel free to ask.
After your first busking with your remarks,
you received a lot of support and favor from people.
I was wondering if you plan to continue busking on such topics.
A world without such topics would be best.
Honestly, right now...
as a comedian, the topic is so great...
that it feels like I'm at a buffet.
Anything we talk about can be funny.
But if you think about it,
a world where we didn't have to would be the best.
You don't have to clap.
Please don't clap.
If you are to continue with such political topics...
in your comedy acts,
aren't you worried about the government's blacklist?
You could be put on such blacklists. I'm wondering if that scares you.
I think if you're afraid of such things, you can't be a comedian.
I'm not sure if something like that exists or not,
but I'm honestly not really afraid of things like that.
I think this is sad.
I think it's better that a society doesn't worry about things like this.
- That's right. - Someone who thinks...
that he shouldn't say such things is not healthy.
No one told me I couldn't do that, but I assumed that I couldn't.
Thank you for listening to my boring stories for so long.
Thank you.
(This was Byung-jae's second brilliant busking.)
(The people gather their strength one at a time.)
Well done!
You liar!
You liar! You fooled us again!
The fact that people think Yoo Byung-jae's topic...
is dangerous is exactly what is wrong with our society.
(Agreed)
Whether it be the US or wherever, the president or whoever,
people create satires that are much more severe than this.
Our country has yet to experience something like that yet, so it's taking time.
There's no problem at all. If there is,
I'll help you in any way I can.
I'll defend you.
(Massive security)
Today,
- you showed us some great standup comedy. - You did it.
What was the hardest thing about preparing for this time?
I wrote it excitedly this time as well.
But once I wrote the script, something like Gil Ra-im happened.
I wrote it again, and something else happened.
(It's a gold mine of topics.)
Gil Ra-im is unpredictable.
(It's unpredictable.)
So I kept on fixing it.
Something keeps coming up.
I watched your second standup comedy,
and it felt funny and sad.
I was laughing but hurting on the inside.
When your heart hurts like that,
what do we have to think about? My busking today...
will be about this answer.
Did you live together or something?
- Did you? - No, we didn't.
It's just coincidence.
People are sighing about how our society can turn so bad.
Regardless of their political preferences,
I will share what I read in history books.
- That's what I'll be talking about. - That's great.
I like how this is going today.
Last time, Seung-yeon prepared a mat,
- baguettes, and grape juice. - Right.
- He succeeded in gathering people. - He probably prepared something again.
What did you prepare today?
I saw a piano outside.
- That's why I will... - What piano?
You brought it.
- There really is a piano! - Really.
- There's a piano. - Does it make clear and nice sounds?
I saw our staff carrying something...
and saying, "Do we really have to do this?"
(What is all this for?)
- What are you doing? - Get out there!
(What are you doing? Get out there!)
(He approaches the busking zone...)
(wearing a hat.)
(Interested)
What is this?
Who put a piano here?
- He's playing it. - Who is this guy?
(People start to hear a piano playing...)
(suddenly in Wangsimni Station.)
(Awesome)
(Concentrating)
(He receives a lot of attention.)
It's not working. Just as I expected.
That was awesome.
- We prepared that heavy piano just for that? - That's it?
- Gosh. - It's not that economical.
I couldn't agree more.
I hope you can understand my efforts...
and take your seats right here.
(Gathering around)
(A huge audience)
(Excited)
(Wonderful)
Hello.
- Hello. - Hello.
On the news lately,
we've seen so many sad and depressing things, right?
When I studied in New York,
I experienced something depressing.
It was fall of 2001.
I was coming out of the subway station to go to school,
and there were twin buildings which were a landmark of New York.
There used to be two buildings, but one of the buildings...
had black smoke continuously flowing out of it.
Everyone was staring in awe...
thinking why the fire wasn't being extinguished yet.
There was a noise that sounded like steel nails scratching the ground.
The second air plane...
crashed into the World Trade Center and exploded.
(The 9.11 terror was recorded as the worst terror of all time.)
My eyes went dark,
and it felt like everything had stopped.
(He felt like time had stopped.)
After 4 years, I was studying in Paris.
I got up in the morning and opened the window,
and a large number of people were fighting on the street.
Cars and motorcycles on the street were on fire.
On the news, it said that a riot occurred right in front of my house.
(The immigrant riot in France resulted in many casualties.)
We couldn't even go to northern part of Paris in 2005.
While I was living in various countries,
I was in the middle of many incidents...
that changed the events of history.
I came back to Korea about four years ago.
And again,
I'm standing in the middle of a historic incident.
Considering our country's current situation,
what kind of historic event should I share with you...
in order to learn about how we should behave at this moment?
I remembered a documentary called "Mankind" I watched before.
"Mankind"?
This documentary is about ancient Greece.
As you know, ancient Greece...
was the first country to develop democracy.
It's about when ancient Greece and Persia were under war.
Ancient Greece was divided into several city states.
Civil wars continued to break out in such a poor environment.
On the other hand, the King of Persia...
had immense power over the entire Empire.
It was an Empire that had an effective system...
that controlled one million soldiers.
The King of Persia...
sent an envoy to Athens, Greece.
He promised eternal fortune if Greece submitted to the Persian Empire.
But he threatened to kill them all if they decided to fight.
Athens followed a direct democracy at that time. This means that...
nothing could be decided until all citizens had finished voting.
When they heard this from Persia,
the citizens of Greece gathered at the square.
There were people that wanted to give up...
since there was no way they could win.
There were also people who wanted to fight, saying they could not live as slaves.
Both sides had a point.
The citizens started to fight over this issue...
by grabbing each other's hair, kicking, and hitting each other.
The envoy from Persia didn't wait and returned to Persia.
He told the Persian King,
"I don't think we need the submission of Athens."
"They will continue to fight with each other..."
"and collapse on their own."
Simply, he told the King,
"Athens is in chaos."
"We'll win no matter what."
Persia invaded Athens with a million soldiers.
But not only did Athens succeed in protecting their country...
but King Alexander of Macedonia, who received the philosophy of Athens,
destroyed the Persian Empire.
Many humanists say this about this incident.
(This is what they think.)
They say that a society formed through commotion and debate...
like Greece is better than a society...
that is controlled by one person.
When we hear this, we may be relieved...
that our country will also turn out like this, but...
(But!)
the history books show that fighting does not always bring good results.
There were countries like Greece that fought and succeeded.
On the other hand, some countries were torn apart...
and never had a chance to improve.
As Koreans, we all want to know something at this moment.
What was the difference...
between ancient Greece and the other countries that disappeared in history?
(What is the difference?)
Before democracy was established in Greece,
they had a spiritual legacy.
That spiritual legacy is known as...
the concept of Paragon.
The word "Paragon" is from the ancient Greek.
The Greeks used gold as currency.
There was a lot of counterfeit money at that time.
That's why they used a stone called "Paragon". It created chemical reactions.
It changed color if it touched real gold.
However, it didn't react to fake gold.
This is what the concept of Paragon means.
Just like when they found out if it was real gold by touching it with a Paragon,
a person, country, or organization...
needs to be faced with difficulty, in order to know its true self.
This is what it means.
It's inevitable for people to fight.
We can't avoid conflicts between opinions.
The concept of Paragon is about understanding...
that fighting is not about winning.
Then why do we fight?
The purpose of fighting is to compare...
and maintain balance.
This is what the concept of Paragon is about.
I thought it was the name of an apartment.
That's Octagon.
Octagon?
We are sorry to all the viewers.
We're so sorry.
I learned fencing when I was a freshman in college.
The reason I started to learn was because I loved history so much.
In the 18th century, they wore wigs...
and fought with swords. I saw it often in movies.
I wanted to try it.
So I went to an old fencing teacher with white hair...
that taught fencing styles from the 18th and 19th century.
Fencing is a very difficult sport.
It's hard to keep score.
We don't know who stabbed who until we hear the buzzer.
That's why they attach many electronic devices on their bodies...
to keep track of who scores or not.
But this fencing teacher...
didn't allow any electronic scoring devices.
He said it didn't match with the fencing spirit.
- I asked him, - How do you know who wins?
"How do we keep score?"
- Right. - Right.
He makes it easy to understand.
This is what he said.
The fencing sword moves so quickly during a match...
that the person who stabs it doesn't even notice...
if he stabbed correctly or not.
But there is one person...
that knows whether he succeeded or not.
That person is the opponent.
(The opponent that has been stabbed)
In football, people shout when there's a goal.
But in fencing, they use a word called "Touche".
Touche doesn't mean "to stab".
It means "to be stabbed".
- Touche. - Wow.
That's meaningful.
This means that when you count the score during fencing,
the player who lost points raises his hand, not the player who gained points.
The player gives points to the opponent.
That's the rule of fencing.
- Oh. - The player who lost.
- It's admitting his defeat. - Yes.
Touche.
In the past, fencing was a martial art.
The purpose of training martial arts is to develop skills so that...
you can protect your loved ones when bad people break into your house.
When do you develop the skills then?
You develop your skills when you say "Touche".
The moment you say you were hit and admit your defeat,
you develop your skills.
- Right. - I see.
The moment when you get stabbed...
You don't have to say "Touche".
You can deceive everyone if you want to win.
But who is going to suffer a loss?
It's you.
(Wow.)
I can't help but listen to him because of this charm he has.
I don't want to listen to him. We're too different.
But he can captivate people.
(He's like an agricultural chemical.)
In "Records of the Grand Historian" written by Sima Qian,
it says there was King Wu during Zhou dynasty.
King Wu called a female shaman into the palace...
and killed everyone who was against his will.
Then he said, "Look,"
(Scared)
"I addressed people's grievances."
Then a loyal subject called Ho said,
"A great King..."
"tries to listen to the satirists who criticize the King."
"Whose loss is it if the King doesn't listen to them and rule the country?"
"It's the King's loss." That's what he said.
That's why the concept of Paragon...
has been the basic qualification for leaders for a few thousand years...
across the globe.
Members of the National Assembly must watch this.
(They have to watch it.)
They must watch this show.
(He assaults with facts again.)
Since when did we lose this precious concept?
Korea is a competitive society.
In competitive societies, people teach their kids that winning is the right thing.
People fight to win. Why do they study?
They study to be better than other kids and be the top of the class.
Why do people participate in sport competitions?
We learned it's to win over competitors and get the gold medal.
Now,
we forgot how to lose in a good manner.
We never say this simple sentence, "You won."
Slowly,
we've come to accept using all means possible to win is okay.
We've come to like and admire people...
who use all means possible to win.
If you read history books, this has happened before.
This happened in Germany in 1930s.
People thought winning is everything.
Someone said he will lead Germany to victory, no matter what.
He said he'll lead the country to victory even if it means war.
So they elected a young politician who said that as their national leader.
It was Adolf Hitler, whom we all know.
(He was Adolf Hitler.)
We're facing a critical moment in our history.
Through this situation, will Korea step forward...
like the ancient Greece did?
Or will we shatter and disappear into history?
We're facing a critical moment every day.
If we bring back the concept...
of losing in a good manner from the past,
we will be able to have a leader who knows how to lose.
Thank you.
- Wow. - Wow.
(Standing ovation)
He's just...
- I got goosebumps. - I actually underestimated Seung-yeon.
(I underestimated Seung-yeon.)
I looked down on him during the beginning of the show.
- But after the busking... - I've come to respect him now.
(They've come to respect him.)
A while ago, Mr. Donald Trump became...
the President-elect of the United States.
- It was completely unexpected. - Yes.
It seemed not many people supported him in the beginning,
but he turned out to be the President-elect.
Can you tell us why this happened in the States?
They call them "Shy Trumpers".
I used to live in Michigan when I stayed in the States.
There was another village 30km away from the place I used to live.
I heard there was a good restaurant, so I planned to go there with my friends.
Then my teacher told me that I should never go there. Why?
The headquarter of Ku Klux Klan in Michigan was located in that village.
She said I should never go there.
There are people like that in United States.
Didn't the intellectuals in America know that there are people like that?
They knew they didn't see things eye to eye.
So the intellectuals stopped talking to them.
They've come to believe that no one supported Trump around them.
They ignored the existence of Trump supporters.
Then they were shocked after the result came out.
The abolishment of debate can be very dangerous.
If we don't debate,
we will assume that everyone else has the same opinion.
Slowly, we won't be able to think sharply.
People say debate strengthens the community and individuals.
That's because debate is one of the ways that will make people realize...
there are people who have different opinions in our society.
We're facing a difficult situation at the moment.
Can you tell us a historical example...
that can suggest a solution for the situation we're in?
The questions young people are asking...
- sound like they're in an academic seminar. - I know.
There's a German novelist called Stefan Zweig.
Isn't he making that up?
How does he know all that?
He knows so much.
When the Second World War was about to end,
he wrote a book in which he compared...
the societies of 19th century and the society he lived in.
It's called "The World of Yesterday". It's really thick.
What scared me was the fact that...
the situation before the First World War broke out...
and the situations in East Asia...
are very similar.
Even the stories of 1930s, right before the Second World War broke out,
are very similar to the situation we're facing now.
He's scaring me.
I think you can see yourself better through others.
We have to look at the behavior of people...
in the countries that committed war crimes including Germany.
We have to look at the cliquish mindset they had at that time.
I hope we're able to think, "We should be like that."
Young people in Korea should read...
about the situations in Europe before the World War I and II broke out.
You will think, "We should never go down that road."
That's what you will think.
Thank you for listening despite the cold weather. I will say one more thing.
When I came on As I Say last time,
the amount I collected was second to last in the history of the show.
(His donation collected was second to last.)
I just need 9 people because 8 people donated last time.
- Why would he say that? - Turn the microphone off.
- Turn it off. - Turn it off.
He shouldn't say that.
Please make a donation. I'll end my busking. Thank you.
(Jo Seung-yeon's busking is over.)
Thank you.
- Thank you. - Well done.
- It was great. - Look at all these people.
- Wow. - There are so many people.
(So many people have gathered.)
- Wow. - It looks like a party convention.
I was impressed when he said,
"You don't debate to win."
I will do my busking with the concept of Touche today.
(I will do it with the concept of Touche today.)
- Seung-yeon, Touche. - Touche!
- Touche! - Touche.
I admit my defeat.
- I admit my defeat. - How much do you think he'll collect?
People are making donations now.
- More than nine people made donations already. - Really?
Even at a glance, more than nine people made donations.
Today,
Byung-jae brought out the issues of our society through satire.
He also told us that we should not try to win.
His intention was to bring out the issues for debate.
That really impressed me.
I made up my mind.
My second child's name will be Ha Ra-gon.
Ha Ra-gon?
Ha Ra-gon.
I never realized the meaning of Paragon would be so cool.
- It's so cool. - It really is.
Only our last busking is remaining.
It's currently 6:05pm.
There is a piano, right?
You can play the piano.
He can hold the microphone and say,
"Gather around!"
People will get scared.
"Gather around before I handcuff you."
They'll get less scared if you play the piano.
- To make them stay? - Yes.
Professor, let's go.
- Let's go. - Okay.
(He sets off with Hee-yeol.)
- We're in trouble. - There are so many people.
(There are so many people.)
Goodness.
When Hee-yeol plays the piano without speaking, he looks really cool.
His hands should be attached to the piano.
(His hands should be attached to the piano.)
- Hello. - Hello.
(He came out with Hee-yeol.)
Come here.
Hello.
My goodness. Thank you.
- Please sit down. - Please sit down.
I was going to play the piano...
before the professor starts his busking.
Please introduce yourself briefly.
Then I'll play a song...
- and pass it onto you. - Okay.
Hello. I had worked as a detective,
and now I'm retired.
These days, I'm conducting research in criminology.
It's nice to meet you.
(Nice to meet you.)
He should rest his chin on his hand like this.
- Yes, he should do that. - Right?
(As promised, here's Hee-yeol's piano performance.)
("At the Park" composed by You Hee-yeol)
(Thank you Hee-yeol.)
(Heart racing)
(It's a heart stealing performance at Wangsimni Station Square.)
- Wow. - Hey, that's attractive.
It's so sexy.
I'm regretting it.
I shouldn't have made him do it.
(I wish I had those skills.)
(Emotionally sexy)
(This Wangsimni night is soaked with piano.)
Our program is glamorous.
(Our program is glamorous.)
(High-class busking)
For 30 years, he worked as a homicide detective.
He has apprehended around 3,000 criminals up until now.
(He has apprehended 3,000 criminals.)
We'll begin the spoken busking now. How about a round of applause?
- Thank you. - Thank you.
It's nice to meet you all.
When you hear the words "Homicide detective", there's a prejudice you all have.
It's a cold-hearted image of someone who has got no blood or tears.
A great majority thinks that way.
I wanted to show that this so called...
prejudice that you have may be wrong.
I wanted to explain this today. That's why I'm here.
If I'm honest with you from the start,
I am a failed detective.
He just introduced me as someone who has caught over 3,000 criminals,
but I don't need any of that.
If a detective can't solve a crime they are assigned,
especially murder cases, and they retire,
they are forever deemed a failed detective.
Perhaps you all have heard of this.
In 2002 in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province,
there was a nail polish murder case of a middle school girl.
A female eighth grade student...
was on her way home after school.
She called home to her mom saying, "Mom, I'm walking home now."
That was their last conversation in this world.
Ninety days after she disappeared,
her naked body was discovered...
in a nearby drain.
The criminal had painted red nail polish on her fingernails and toenails.
One thing that was very peculiar about this case is...
there was not even one informant.
(There was not even one informant.)
I was investigating that case at the time.
If I am to sum it up, we couldn't catch him.
In order to catch the criminal, I went as far as...
to asking this girl to show up in my dream.
I even tried sleeping in her blankets to try and dream about her.
That case...
was personally a very heartbreaking case for me.
Our best junior detective who was investigating the case with me...
was so stressed during the investigation process...
that he drank pesticides and committed suicide.
(He committed suicide.)
After 32 years of being a homicide detective,
I've seen hundreds of dead bodies and even witnessed the autopsies,
but I just couldn't get close...
to where my colleague was lying...
because it was too scary and painful.
There have been times like that.
There are a variety of dilemmas that detectives face.
It was a summer day.
It felt like someone was definitely following me, but there was no one behind me.
I didn't know what it was and in a moment of carelessness,
I was stabbed in my side from behind.
How terrifying would that be? I couldn't.
As soon as I was stabbed and looked at the attacker,
I saw that he was the guy that I arrested...
and put into prison six years ago for robbery.
I was able to recognize him.
I fell over holding onto the hand that stabbed me.
We did eventually arrest him and handle it,
but that ended up traumatizing me.
Once I got stabbed, I would even get intimidated...
by my wife carrying a knife to cut fruits with.
This is often called Aichmophobia.
All the knives in our house...
have been snipped at the end to make them dull.
While detectives are investigating a case,
wouldn't you guess that they get lots of threats and attempts at revenge?
- There's something we all fear the most. - Family.
It's a threat directed at our family.
One day, someone called my house.
- Your daughter's name is Kim blank blank, right? - That's right.
Your daughter leaves the house at this time.
She walks through these streets to get to this elementary school, right?
He listed all of her movements and hung up the phone.
From then on, I went crazy.
I couldn't do anything.
In my case, during my 32 years of work,
I've moved over 40 times.
A detective's family has to be strong, too.
Thanks to these guys' sacrifice...
- We can sleep comfortably. - That's right.
There's one memory I have of my daughter that is the most heartbreaking.
Due to a homicide case, I wasn't able to go home.
I happened to be investigating around home and I had some free time,
so I went home for a bit.
As soon as I went inside,
I tried to hug my daughter,
but she looked at me and ran away.
She asked her mom who that man is.
I thought about it...
and realized I haven't hugged my daughter in about three months.
I reflected a lot about it.
So ever since then, whenever I had time...
Back then, Mimi dolls were really popular.
I would bring home a Mimi doll...
and hug my child.
She got married recently, and while I was cleaning her room,
I found several bags worth of Mimi dolls.
I think all my allowance went to buying Mimi dolls.
He didn't know how to really play with his kid.
The child liked it, so he only did that for her.
But later the kid will say, "That's enough."
They'll seriously say that.
As a father, I wasn't able to act as the head of the household.
It's a job that always made me feel guilty and sorry.
But despite that, I was crazy about my work.
Perhaps detectives are born...
as madmen.
That's why we do it.
I've been talking about this prejudice with you all today.
These days on the internet, I see the word "Cop"...
being written as...
"Dog cop".
It angered me as well as all of our colleagues.
But I thought deeply about it one day.
Why are cops being called dogs?
Why do we have to exist listening to such disgraceful things?
I realized that it may be the fate of police.
When the institution of police was created,
the concept of policeman...
continued on since the Japanese occupation period.
- Especially our country. - Not being able to rid of pro-Japanese police...
has led to its continuation until now.
Whether it be for dictatorial regimes or for military regimes,
police have definitely played the puppet role.
Because of such political police,
there has been lots of condemnable behavior.
This may very well be the fate of police.
My employees will come say to me, "Isn't that unfair?"
I always say that...
washing away original sin isn't an easy task.
But...
we are investigative police.
There's only one kind of investigative police.
There's only one.
It's investigating for the people and only for the people.
We do not suck up to someone because they're higher up...
or pursue such things.
We are not such political police.
An investigator...
works for the people, the way the people want, only for the people.
One day, Korea's police...
and Korea's detectives...
should be looked up to by the people.
"Thanks to those detectives,"
"Korea is a great place to live."
Won't things like that be said?
I believe that it will become like that.
So in a way, homicide detectives...
are very simple and honest.
Homicide detectives...
are people that know how to cry thinking of their first love.
We cry while we watch movies, too.
We're all people.
Homicide detectives have no interest in politics...
or current events at all.
The only thing in those people's heads...
is the case they are assigned...
and catching the criminal punk... Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
They think, "What does that criminal look like?"
They only have curiosity about the criminal.
These days, the current situation is a mess.
It's complicated.
Isn't it suffocating? Don't you want to break it down?
But you all...
have seen the candlelight vigils, right?
Is there a people as great as the Korean people?
All of you here...
who work very hard for a little money are the patriots.
Those people who only blabber and talk about the people are not patriots.
They are fake.
You and I are patriots, right?
Thank you all for sitting here in the cold to listen to me.
I'm a person that analyzes cases, so you may see me every now and then.
Please tune in every now and then.
- He's on JTBC's "Current Affairs". - What's their viewer rating?
It's 3.4 percent.
- "Current Affairs"? - Touche!
(We lost. Touche.)
Touche.
If this has helped to break your prejudice of Korean police,
especially your thoughts about homicide detectives,
I really appreciate it. Thank you.
(We hope it shattered your prejudice of detectives.)
Does anyone have a question? Yes.
My dream is to pursue detective as a career.
Did you also...
dream of becoming one since you were young?
- Yes. - How did you prepared for it?
As soon as I graduated college, I became a detective without hesitation,
so I have no regrets about it.
If you're dreaming of becoming a detective,
I'm sure you have the foundational intention of justice.
I'm sure you have a sense of justice.
Be sure to exercise as well.
There's a special score for that.
You'll be able to do it.
As you worked,
you said you've faced traumas.
You've even come close to dying.
What would you say is your driving force despite all of that?
I mentioned the idea of a sense of accomplishment earlier.
When a criminal is caught...
and he's brought in in handcuffs,
that feeling almost drives me crazy.
- That's a similar feeling we get when we shoot a good show. - It feels so good.
We end up looking like this in front of the crew.
(I did it. Did you see me?)
(Did you see?)
Once we catch and lock him up in jail,
I take the arrest report and go to the chief.
When I say, "Chief, we have solved this case",
he'll say only two words.
"Good job."
Those two words are really nothing.
Just like a mountain climber who puts down a flag at the summit of the Himalayas,
it's that sense of accomplishment.
I said it earlier.
It's only possible because one is crazy about the work they do.
That's what it is.
- Wow. - You really showed us the greatest busking.
Yes.
(The two MCs join the buskers.)
Wow. Can you tell us your impression of busking?
Everyone listened so sincerely.
I don't know, but I feel like you all empathized a little bit.
- Is that right? - Yes!
This is personally...
- a moving moment for me. - Yes, all right.
We need to announce what we need to announce.
Our first busker...
How much did our first busker, Yoo Byung-jae, raise?
(Drumroll)
It's 23 dollars!
- That's a lot. - Nice.
- It will be used for a good cause. - It's good.
Then I'll be back again to raise 24 dollars next time.
You got three times what I collected last time.
How much are you predicting?
- The reaction was okay this time. - Yes.
- I think about 15 dollars. - 15 dollars.
I should be able to expect that much.
How much did Jo Seung-yeon raise?
(How much did Yoo Byung-jae and Jo Seung-yeon raise together?)
- It's 73 dollars! - Wow!
(Dreams come true.)
- Wow! - He's so happy!
- Touche. - Wow!
- Touche. - Touche.
I have regained my honor! Thank you!
Thank you!
(Congratulations.)
I'm in trouble.
Our last busker...
By adding our last busker, Kim Bok-jun...
The total amount raised by our buskers today...
(Everyone...)
(is curious.)
will be revealed in a moment.
We'll be revealing the busking collection amount through the subtitles.
We need to say our farewells now.
If you see us next week, please say hello.
- As I Say! - As I Say!
- Ha Hee-yeol! - Ha Hee-yeol!
- Thank you! - Thank you!
(Finally,)
(the real deal has arrived?)
(She becomes talk of the town wherever she goes.)
(Justice Party representative,)
(Sim Sang-Jung)
(He's a trending freelance announcer,)
(Jo Woo-jong.)
(He's a hyper-realistic painter,)
(Jung Joong-won.)
(As I Say)
Subtitles by OnDemandKorea