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(The year-end special, "Busking Avengers")
I heard Do-yeon tries to show she's a dutiful daughter when she dates men.
(My goodness.)
I tell them about my mom's hardships.
(Laughing)
I wanted to run away for a while.
(Fad words maker, Webtoonist Lee Jong-beom)
I told people around me to run away.
That's what I said. Then they said, "Why?"
I couldn't explain.
(He couldn't explain.)
Since my last appearance on the show,
I can't even lift my head in makgeolli pubs.
- Why? - Because they recognize me.
(Laughing)
(The glamorous year-end carnival of buskers starts.)
(A moment later!)
(A very special relay busking of four different teams)
I started dating late, and a new world has opened up for me.
I felt so energetic.
(Laughter...)
(and tips to improve your life)
That's the standard of expiry date for everyone here.
(The last busking that will stir up the end of the year)
(It starts now.)
Next busker is...
the webtoonist, Lee Jong-beom. Please welcome him.
(The creator of the webtoon "Dr. Frost", Lee Jong-beom)
- He is a great speaker. - That's right.
I'm expecting to hear some new fad words.
All right.
(Third busking)
Hello.
I was able to get on the blacklist. I'm Webtoonist Lee Jong-beom.
(Goodness)
The two buskers before me...
told us about some important issues...
that we all have to think about.
I think I'll be sticking to something more personal.
I'm a webtoonist.
Before I make a webtoon, I try to search...
what kind of stories people want to hear.
Since it's the year-end, people pretty much talk about the same thing.
They talk about year-end gatherings...
or depression.
One of the most mentioned words is the word "slump".
I'm going to talk about slump today.
(Jong-beom is going to talk about "slump".)
In Korea, many people say they're in a slump.
But personally,
I think they shouldn't say they're in a slump.
Instead, they should say they're living in a slump.
I think that's more appropriate to say because...
the word "slump" has two different meanings.
When someone is tired...
and exhausted,
and when someone is in a state of burnout, we hear the word "slump" sometimes.
There are times like that. High school seniors...
and people who work overtime get really tired...
and say they're in a slump.
From what I see, they're just tired.
They can take a rest.
Of course, they might say they can't afford to take a rest.
They might say that. I understand,
but when I talk about the second meaning of slump,
a lot of people agree that they can just take a rest.
The true meaning of slump...
lies in the time when you lose your reasons...
for what you do. That's the period of slump.
It's when you lost all reasons for what you're doing.
(People hit a slump when they lose the meaning of work.)
We usually ask many different questions in the course of our lives.
But most of the questions we ask...
are related to "what".
What should I do to make a living? What are the things that are fun?
What should I do to enjoy my time?
And some of us ask questions that are related to "how".
Should I go to an academy? Should I learn it from school?
So the question becomes "how" from "what".
But most people...
naturally overlook the question...
that they have to ask.
That's the question I've just mentioned.
"Why am I doing this?"
The question "why" takes a long time to get an answer.
It's hard to get an answer.
Also, the question "why" is inevitably followed by another "why".
That's why most people...
don't think much about why they're doing...
what they're doing.
Why am I working for this company?
Why am I dating this person?
Why do I want to have this job as my profession?
There are so many questions but we simply don't answer them.
Or we come up with an excuse and move on.
I think the problem starts from there.
Because...
the reason of doing a work decides the expiry date of the job.
(The reason of doing a work decides the expiry date of the job.)
- When I was young... - Expiry date.
Like I said, I believe that the reason of doing a work...
decides the expiry date of the job.
I'm sure everyone here has been in a slump in the past.
Because during 12 years that we had spent at school,
not many of you would have known why you had to study.
Am I right?
If a student studies to go to college,
he'll stop studying the moment he enters a college.
The reason for studying is past its expiry date.
When I was young, there were other kids who drew cartoons with me.
My teacher or friends would ask us,
"Why do you draw cartoons? Why do you like it?"
"Why do you want to be a cartoonist?"
Then we'd answer right away without hesitation.
Can you guess what our answer was?
- Because it's fun? - Because it's fun.
Because it's enjoyable and I like it.
We could've said this.
"Because my friends like it."
When a passionate cartoonist experiences the monthly deadline...
for the first time, he'll slowly grow distant from it. It's really hard.
He'll lost interest.
The expiry date for his cartoon ends there.
He lost his reasons.
On the other hand, my friends who drew cartoons...
because their friends liked it...
lost their reasons when they saw mean comments...
and realized they couldn't be loved by everyone with their cartoons.
Their expiry date for drawing cartoons had passed.
(Their expiry date had passed.)
Interestingly, people who said they enjoy drawing cartoons didn't last long.
"I do this because I can make money."
"I can make a lot of money from making webtoons."
Cartoonists who said that...
were able to develop their careers continuously.
- It's ironic. - Since they were doing it for money,
they didn't care about the mean comments.
They didn't care about the appearance of cartoonists who were better than them.
They didn't care about the harsh deadline, either.
But their expiry date will pass one day.
Asking "why" is a difficult thing to do.
You have to be persistent.
The question will be followed by another "why".
What's funny is that this is the very reason why people don't ask the question.
Also, this is the very reason why we have to ask the question.
"Why am I doing this work?"
(Why am I doing this work?)
As for me, I asked myself why I draw cartoons.
It took me seven years to find the answer.
But since I found the answer,
I was able to...
have my reasons that are well-thumbed and polished,
but my reasons are very solid, small, and specific.
I'm able to work with these reasons in my hand.
The number of times I asked "why" to myself...
became the duration of my expiry date, which decides the strength of my will.
- Goodness. - What a great expression.
I want to record this.
Even if I memorize this, I won't be able to explain.
There are...
people who study and work without asking "why" to themselves.
There are people who're dating someone and got married without asking "why".
Does that mean they're deceiving themselves?
I don't think so.
There are some people who say, "Why do I have to find the reason..."
"that will change in the future?"
Some would say that.
I don't agree with them, either.
When we climb mountains, we just climb.
But when we climb a really high mountain,
we set up a base camp in the middle.
At the base camp, we save up our energy...
to climb up to the summit.
We don't tell them, "You didn't even reach the summit."
"Why are you setting up a base camp?"
Webtoonist Yoon Tae-ho...
He drew "Misaeng". You know him, right?
During an interview, he was asked about his slump.
He said, "As a cartoonist, there's no way I can pull myself out of the slump."
"I just continue drawing."
I think his answer implies many different things.
To know the reason why you're doing the work,
sometimes the best way is to continue doing what you're doing.
Let's say you have no clear reasons for what you're doing...
or you have to do it to make a living.
If you don't know the reasons of doing your work,
and if you feel guilty about it,
I think you can start everything from there.
It's not something you should feel guilty about.
Instinctively,
people are scared of questions that they can't find the answer right away.
If you're scared of the question "why",
that's because of the instinct you have as a person who values yourself.
You shouldn't feel guilty about it.
If the reason of slump makes you think,
"I can't do this anymore, and I can't go on",
and if you realize the expiry date of your reasons has passed,
instead of thinking you'll suffer from continuing this work,
you can decide to go on until you find your next reason.
(You can move one step forward from your slump.)
If you ask yourself,
"Why am I doing house chores?"
"Why am I raising my kid?"
"Why am I studying? Why do I have this profession?"
"Why am I working for this company?"
When you're getting depressed,
I think those are very good signs to watch out for.
These are signs that the reasons you had...
for enduring everything...
up until now have expired.
These are signs...
that everyone should either rediscover a new reason...
or think deeply about moving on to a next phase in life...
with a new reason.
I wish I had a friend like that.
When I told a friend that I was in a slump,
he suggested I go take a bath.
When I said I was in a slump,
- they told me to stop complaining. - Most people would say that.
You should think these kind of thoughts to help you out during those times.
Think about why you started this thing. Does the reason still stand?
Are they still working reasons?
Do I have to go look for another reason?
Take some time and try to really think about those things.
That's what I wanted to share about my thoughts on slump.
Thank you.
(Lee Jong-beom's busking ended.)
That was good.
- Wow, that was... - Wow.
We always feel this every time he busks.
He's not very physically attractive.
But he looks so attractive now.
- Yes, he does. - He does.
These are the power of words.
(Kwak Jung-eun keeps cool.)
Any questions?
Of course no one will raise their hands.
Isn't there anything you really want to know...
(He raises his hand.)
Yes, Son A-ram?
- A-ram's going to ask a question. - Yes.
- A-ram? - It started again. These two are very funny.
He's really scary.
(Son A-ram's junior)
- We waited in the same waiting room. - Yes.
In the waiting room, Mr. Lee Jong-beom said,
- "I didn't prepare anything. I don't know what I'm going to talk about." - Yes.
And while I was busy preparing for my own busking,
you said, "It's no use to start preparing for it now."
Even though you said all that, how is it possible for you to speak so well?
I couldn't help but keep wondering about that.
- Wow. - Oh.
There are always those types of people.
- People who cry over how they messed up on the test but only got one wrong. - Yes.
People with lowest scores comfort them.
I always got low scores.
Usually, people who say...
it's no use to study for it now, are people...
who are always prepared.
(They're always prepared.)
(Tearing up)
Actually, I was just sharing my thoughts about...
something that had been always on my mind.
I meant to say you were pretty good up there.
- It was good. - Thank you.
I really like that guy.
- You said you were looking for the answer for seven years. - Yes.
Can I ask what kind of answer you found to build your foundation?
The answer I found after wondering for about seven years was...
Well, first of all, I don't think people change.
It gets especially harder when they get older.
- Do you agree? - Yes.
- Totally agree. - Just look at your parents back home.
But luckily for me,
there was a time when I once witnessed someone changing in front of me.
And the reason for that person to change himself was...
because he saw a wonderful masterpiece.
He was so touched by the masterpiece.
I'm currently drawing comics right now...
with that hope that it'll help make at least one person...
reading my work become happy.
If that happens, regardless of negative comments...
and regardless of the pay,
I feel that I will be able to continue on with what I'm doing.
Any other questions?
I consider myself to be an optimistic person. I'm not a pessimist.
I spent 12 years telling myself that...
I wasn't bad at studying. I was just choosing not to.
I see.
- Yes. - And so...
I decided to walk on my own path, not the path that society has made for me.
Lately, I can't help but have doubts about my choice.
It's funny but people often ask me questions...
they would go and ask a fortune teller.
Things like, "Do you think it's all right for me to marry this year?"
I just don't know.
He's pretty sharp. I was going to ask him that question after the show.
- You were? - Yes, I feel so bad now.
It seems he has all the answers.
Personally for me, when I was feeling unsure about what I was doing,
I chose to use...
three methods.
Those three methods are...
First, just do it.
Second, just try to finish what you've started.
Third, show someone what you've finished.
If I skipped even one step,
I would have gotten back nothing and wouldn't have learned anything.
Wow, that's a good method.
It feels like it'll be really hard to follow.
During your last busking, you said it's okay to run away.
But since I'm...
in a situation where I have to prepare for a lot of things,
I couldn't just drop everything and leave.
So...
Well, I...
I chose to go on my own path.
I chose to major in something I wanted.
But I couldn't help but start thinking about the financial aspects.
I have to get ready for job applications...
but somehow, I'm still stuck on what to do.
So, I was hoping you could give me some advice...
on what I should do.
(She's choosing between her dreams and reality.)
Well, I really like the word, "temporary decision".
Even if you fool yourself right now with a temporary reason,
as long as you keep in mind that reasons will change,
as long as you believe in that reason,
even if that reason doesn't ring true with you from the depths of your heart,
you can use that temporary reason as fuel...
to help you get to the next checkpoint.
- Temporary decision. - I might not have the right answer to your question.
You're probably upset because you're feeling a lot of pressure to find...
the one final, true answer.
- When I hear that... - Oh.
I never would have imagined I would ever host a TV program.
It hasn't even been that long since I started hosting a TV program.
But when he said "temporary decision", it came to me.
Making temporary decisions is about giving it your best, every moment at a time.
My current "temporary decision"...
is doing a TV program.
I want to work with a program I love.
I really love working with As I Say.
I also love "Sketchbook"...
and "K-pop Star".
(Oh dear.)
What about you?
"Infinity Challenge", "Running Man".
Also, "Rebound"...
- You like everything? - Yes, I really like them all.
I really love them.
Just because I discover a new, different reason,
just because I make a temporary reason to trick myself,
do you really think those reasons will be meaningless?
In order to keep asking myself why I'm doing these things,
I wonder if making up temporary reasons...
to help you get through ruts is really meaningless.
As you go through life, I'm sure that...
you'll meet new people,
do things you've never done before,
and go to places you've never gone before.
You'll discover so many different things to make you happy.
When you reach that point, I'm sure...
you'll continue to find another reason and experience a new life.
(Every moment, your reason for living changes.)
I don't know if this was the answer you were looking for.
Thank you so much for listening to what I had to say.
Hope you all have a great holiday.
Thank you.
(What is your reason for living?)
(As I Say)
(Busking Avengers Team B appears.)
Hello.
(Excited)
- It's cold, isn't it? - Yes.
- But it's fun, right? - Yes.
You guys look like penguins when you...
huddle together like that.
Apparently, huddling like that will help you keep warm.
Anyway, everyone.
Next up, we have Fish and Jang Do-yeon.
Lately, it's in trend to collaborate.
We're going to collaborate on busking.
After that collaboration, Kwak Jung-eun will go next.
And last but not least, Heo Sung-tae will go after that in this relay busking event.
Let's start by giving them a round of applause.
(Everyone claps happily.)
All I can really say is that it's really cold.
But winters are obviously cold, right?
- Anyway... - Seeing how we're sitting like this, it feels like we're an indie band.
Now that I look closer, his hairband and the fur on her jacket are the same color.
- They're both burgundy. - Yes, burgundy.
(The duo has a burgundy dress code.)
Hello, I'm Kim Dong-young, also known as Fish. Nice to meet you.
Since you're all sitting, it's okay for me to sit too, right?
Since we're sitting on the same level, I'll start my talk.
I have no opinion.
(That was random.)
I don't have any complaints either.
(No one can predict where Fish is going with this.)
As we go on living, it feels like we have to have our own opinions.
For example, when we're out with friends, we have to decide on what to eat
and what movie to see. They ask you about things like that.
When my friends ask me those kinds of questions,
I always say, "Whatever you want to do, whatever you want to see,"
"whatever you want to eat, wherever you want to go."
(Fish leaves all the deciding up to his friends.)
It's not because I have no opinions or thoughts.
It's because when I make a decision or say what I think,
I tend to think about it very seriously.
Just like what I said in the first episode,
I have a lot of hang-ups.
I'm also not very smart.
That's why whenever I offer my thoughts and opinions,
I think carefully about my answer first.
During the first episode,
Fish admitted he had a hang-up about educational background.
He talked about how he never had the courage to admit he didn't know...
because of that.
(Now, he has the courage to admit.)
But that doesn't mean...
I'm always on the fence about things or have a disability to make decisions.
I just honestly don't care about what we do or what we eat.
Just the fact that those people take the time to come see me...
and the fact that we're meeting together hold great significance for me.
That's why I have no complaints whatsoever...
about what my friends decide on.
But people think that just because...
I don't express my opinion and follow someone else's lead,
I'm someone without any thoughts.
That's what they think.
But it's not because I have no thoughts.
I actually have too many...
that I need a little more time.
In a sense, I also have problems when it comes to deciding things.
I'm just like him when we go out to eat.
When people ask me what I want to eat, I always reply back, "Anything."
(That's right.)
When some of my friends who were living abroad came over,
they were very surprised to see the menu called "Anything".
- They were surprised there was a menu like that. - Anything?
Think of how many people must have said this for them to name a menu after it.
It's not because I don't know what I want to eat today.
For me, it's more like a form of consideration.
I thought it was an act of being considerate towards the person eating with me.
The reason why I try to be considerate is this.
Because I'm a comedian, people think I'm pretty tough and nonchalant.
But I'm actually very timid. I really am.
I'm so timid that even though I want to eat something else,
I eat what the other person wants because I don't want them...
to feel uncomfortable.
Even though it made me uncomfortable, I thought it was important for me to make...
the other person comfortable.
They're very similar to each other.
But I'm sure there are a lot of people like those two out there.
- Yes, there are. - This really shocked me recently.
Well, I'm currently doing this comedy program.
In that program, I work with...
Do you know who Yang Se-Chan is?
Well, I have been working together with him...
on various projects with him for about two years now.
I worked with him a long time.
But Se-Chan never worked with a woman before me.
I wasn't that close to him and I was a woman.
But since I'm a considerate person, I thought I could follow his lead.
That's how for those past two years, we have never fought even once.
For those two years, I was so proud of myself...
for being the best partner Se-Chan could ever have.
When our first project finally ended,
we got together to drink and congratulate each other.
While we were drinking,
I asked him to give me a feedback about working together with me.
Normally, we wouldn't talk about these things, but because....
it was the end of our project, I asked him.
Se-Chan said,
(They gave each other feedback.)
"It was fun working with you. But..."
"you have absolutely no opinion."
"So I had to take responsibility of everything."
"And that was hard for me to handle sometimes." That's what he said.
(By having no opinion, she became a burden for him.)
That completely shocked me.
(She was really shocked.)
"You thought I had no opinion?"
Although I wanted to say, "That part isn't funny! Let's do something else",
I wanted to be considerate towards him...
and followed his lead.
But that's not what Se-Chan thought at all.
So I ended up feeling a little upset over what he said.
Not everyone thinks like you.
Never.
From Se-chan's perspective, he didn't need a servant.
- He needed a partner. - Yes.
I didn't think he would give me that kind of feedback.
It was pretty shocking.
Do you know what I do?
- A writer? - What?
A travel writer.
- Do you? - They just said you were a travel writer.
- Did you know? - Did I?
No.
(She's a genius at making people laugh.)
I see. Well, I'm a pretty famous travel writer in the publishing world.
But when you travel, nothing really goes the way you planned it.
For example, when I traveled to America,
I bought a really cheap car.
I bought a cheap car to save some money.
That's how I traveled eight months around America.
But suddenly, that car broke down in the middle of a desert.
I was stranded for two days and three nights.
During that time, when I was alone in my car,
the first thing I did was regret buying a cheap car...
just to save some money.
I had planned to be in another city by a certain date.
But I wasn't able to keep on schedule.
That made me panic.
I felt sad, too.
I was upset at myself for making the wrong choices.
But while I was waiting two days for someone to come rescue me, I realized...
that I was in the midst of traveling.
I realized that all I ever wanted was to travel along this road.
And then I realized there was no one waiting for me.
There was no reason for me to keep to schedule.
I still had control over this trip.
Because of some circumstances, my trip...
just got delayed a little bit. That's all.
(He realized that things don't happen the way you want them to.)
I also planned to travel around Iceland for a month.
I don't know if you remember but...
a volcano erupted during that time,
causing flights to be canceled for at least three months.
Back then, my mother had gotten really sick,
so I was trying to get home as fast as I could.
But there were no flights back.
I started to panic.
I was supposed to be back home,
looking after my mother.
But things didn't go as I'd planned it.
I couldn't blame or resent anyone for it,
because in that situation, there was nothing I could do.
Traveling really isn't something that goes along just as you planned it.
You can't predict what will happen on the road.
But the joy of traveling lies in losing our ways,
meeting strangers on roads you didn't plan to take,
and seeing the sunrise...
over landscapes you've never seen before.
I can't help but feel that's the true joy of traveling.
After coming back from my travel,
rather than tell my opinions and thoughts about everything,
I began to respect other people's opinions and thoughts.
Rather than a speaker, I became a listener.
(Rather than speak, listen.)
That's how I've been living up until now.
But it's getting tough to live that way.
Because people tend to think of people with no opinions...
as people without any thoughts or preferences.
Do I have to always tell them my opinion there and then?
Or should I stick to my own way of living quietly?
I haven't really decided what to do.
I just wish the world...
will wait for me...
and give me some more time to think about things.
So basically, what I really want to say is that when I said...
I have no opinions when I do,
I was just using irony.
And because I don't have any opinions,
I'll say I don't have any complaints,
even though I might. It's because I didn't say my opinions.
All I need is a little more time.
I think there are many people like me out there.
Because I think there are many people having the same issues as me,
I wanted to talk about this subject today.
I also went on a trip to Japan...
by myself once.
But I never traveled abroad by myself if it wasn't for work.
The reason I never went to Japan before...
was because I was afraid of the Yakuza.
I was really scared of them.
I also couldn't work part time in a convenience store...
because I was afraid I would get shot.
- In our country? - I knew guns were illegal in our country but even then...
I was always paranoid and afraid of the strangest things.
But when I went to Japan, it was so much fun.
Normally, I would be too conscious of how everyone would look at me.
But in Japan, I knew I was only going to be there for a couple of days.
That made me feel so free.
I would walk around Japan in clothes...
that I wouldn't wear back in Korea because people might make fun of me.
I ended up doing things I normally wouldn't.
It makes you brave.
One night, I want to a food stall. I don't even know Japanese. I only know...
how to say "What time is it?"...
and "Please, give me rice".
And, just in case...
"I'm Korean. I'm sorry."
Those are the only things I knew how to say.
I don't know where I got the courage...
but next to me, there was this woman eating ramen and drinking sake by herself.
Even though we couldn't speak the same language...
You know how girls first greet each other, right?
"You're so pretty."
"No, you're so much prettier."
"How old are you? I'm 32."
"You don't look that old."
"No, you look younger."
(No, no, no.)
We ended up talking like that for over two hours.
Japanese are very adamant about splitting bills, right?
That woman ended up paying for my things too before she went home.
That made me feel happier about that trip.
I also remember reading something about Shimo-kitazawa Station somewhere.
I really enjoyed that book, so I really wanted to go see that station.
You know Google map, right?
We can go anywhere with the map.
I was about 200 or 300m away from the destination,
but the map couldn't get my current location.
So I decided to ask other people.
An old Japanese lady was walking by, so I asked,
"Excuse me. Where is Shimo-kitazawa Station?"
I asked her.
(Speaking gibberish)
Together.
I understood the word "together". I said okay.
She was basically saying she'd take me there. So we went.
Then the distance from the station shown on the map became 700 and 800m.
It became more than 1km.
I said, "Excuse me."
"Are we going to Shimo-kitazawa Station?"
She said something I couldn't understand, but it sounded as if she was saying,
"I don't know where it is."
I was wondering what was going on.
I thought she knew where it was since she was taking me there.
We finally arrived. She pointed at the station.
But it didn't look like Shimo-kitazawa Station. It was a different station.
I got flustered.
I said, "It's not Shimo-kitazawa Station." Then she said...
I had to understand what she said, so I translated it.
She said, "Don't you have money to get on the subway?"
That old lady didn't know where Shimo-kitazawa Station was.
She just went to a station that she knew...
and told me to ride a subway to get there.
- That's why we had to walk a few kilometers. - A few kilometers?
She was being considerate and took me to a station...
even though she didn't know the station I was looking for.
I got really upset at that time.
She just should've said sorry and let me go.
I didn't understand why she had to take me there.
Then something struck my mind.
I thought of Yang Se-Chan...
and the image of his resentful face was overlapped.
She became the receiving end.
That Japanese lady...
was determined to take me to the place I was going.
If you think about it,
- her destination could've been somewhere else. - Right.
Come to think of it,
I realized the actions that I thought were being considerate...
were actually very selfish.
I thought...
everything about my life was wrong.
I thought I was being considerate to people around me,
If I'm mistaken, of course I have to change myself.
But I thought it wasn't a bad thing.
This is something that I can't make up my mind on.
I can't decide.
What should I do?
I think...
you can't change yourself.
- We have to live like this. - It's a disease, right?
Well, I wouldn't call it a disease.
It's our fate.
- Destiny? - Yes.
I'm not sure if others will tell you this.
But your determination isn't enough to change yourself.
In games, if you're short of experience,
you can eliminate your enemy to improve your fighting skills...
or the level of your experience.
But you can't improve people like game characters.
You have to live with the characteristics...
that you were born with. You can only expect to change yourself slowly...
during the course of your life.
I don't have my opinions, either.
- I'm happy with myself. - Should we hear their opinions?
Okay.
Well, I think...
Do-yeon talked about being considerate,
and Fish Writer talked about not having one's own opinions.
One thing that you both talked about is empathy.
You need to empathize to be considerate.
To give your opinions, people need to empathize with you.
You said you don't have your own opinions,
but you are expressing your opinions with your writing.
Do-yeon is also expressing her consideration towards others...
through her comedy acts.
So I wanted to tell you that you don't need to worry about it.
That's what I wanted to say.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
He spoke like...
a mental health counselor.
I have a question for Do-yeon.
When someone gets scared,
it becomes hard for that person to take on new challenges.
- You said you couldn't go to Japan because you were scared of Yakuza. - Yes.
I want to know how you over came your fear...
and got courage to go to Japan.
The reason why I went to Japan, despite my fear of Yakuza...
Well... It's...
I went through a breakup.
I've dated only one person in my entire life.
I also started dating at an older age.
So I started dating,
and a new world has opened up for me.
I realized I was living as a person,
and not as a woman.
I felt so energetic. That's how I felt.
Then we broke up. It was my first breakup as well.
I couldn't take it.
I didn't know what to do after the breakup,
so I thought...
I needed to step out of my comfort zone to feel better.
One of the options I had was going on a trip.
(Fish Writer and Do-yeon's similar but different busking collaboration)
It's cold today,
- but you have to sit here longer. - Yes.
I heard two amazing buskers are waiting.
- That's right. - They're waiting.
Thank you for listening. Who are the next buskers?
Our next buskers... Should we do it like them?
- Like how they do it in music shows. - Sure.
(Like how they do it in music shows)
Fish, I'm shaking.
I'm not shaking because it's cold.
I'm shaking because...
I'm nervous to find out what she'll be talking about today.
She is good.
Do-yeon, I'm shaking, too.
Why are you shaking, Fish?
- I'm cold. - I see.
Should we call her name?
- Yes. - Come on out.
- Kwak Jung-eun. - Kwak Jung-eun.
(Come on out, Kwak Jung-eun.)
Thank you.
- Gosh. - She's good.
Do-yeon is hilarious.
(Kwak Jung-eun sets off.)
(She appeared without her jacket.)
Hello.
Hello, I'm Kwak Jung-eun. It's nice to see you.
Ladies wear leggings often, right?
It's very popular.
A while ago, I saw a posting on the internet.
"How can women walk on the streets wearing their leggings?"
People call it "Y Zone".
"It reveals the shape of their private parts."
"I don't know where I should look." It was a posting by a woman.
There were replies that said, "That's right. I agree."
"As a woman, it's shameful to look at."
"Are they exhibitionist?"
"It's embarrassing to look at. I don't know where to look."
Those were the comments.
If it were a few years ago, I would've thought,
"That's right. Why are they wearing that?"
A few years ago, I left for New York on a business trip.
I was walking down a street.
Then I spotted...
women who were wearing leggings,
which completely revealed the shape of their hips and private part.
They were wearing a short t-shirt and holding a yoga mat.
The ladies were on their way to the gym.
At first, I thought, "Why do I have to feel embarrassed?"
"Why are they wearing that? They should wear something longer."
"Are they proud of their bodies?" That's what I thought.
(She was embarrassed.)
That moment, I also realized that...
I was the only one on the street,
who felt embarrassed by their clothes.
The ladies walked on the streets confidently.
Nobody on the streets were annoyed by what they were wearing.
I was the only one.
At that time, I thought,
"They're wearing that because Americans are open-minded."
After a few years, I realized that...
leggings wasn't the problem.
It wasn't a problem that could be solved...
by not wearing leggings, either.
The basis of the problem...
was the prejudice that people had...
towards women's body and the way women embellish themselves.
(It was about prejudice.)
When it comes to women and women's body,
or the way women embellish themselves,
there are double oppressions or double restraints in our society.
Let's say a woman is not wearing makeup.
People would say she lacks courtesy.
Let's say a woman is wearing heavy makeup.
"Isn't it a bit too much?"
"Men would feel uncomfortable."
How about clothes?
People say, "Women should wear skirts from time to time."
If the skirt is a bit short, they'd go, "That skirt is a bit too much."
"Your boyfriend wouldn't let you wear such a short skirt."
When a woman wearing a short skirt gets criticized by people,
or when she becomes the target of sex crimes,
people would say she was the cause of crime.
"Your short skirt stimulated men."
"It became the cause of the sex crime."
Such remarks became acceptable in the society we live in.
While I was preparing for my book, I went to see different public trials.
Interestingly, when rapists were on trial,
short skirt was mentioned in all their hearings.
They kept talking about short skirts.
Perhaps, it was the statement of the defendant,
but their attorney...
- could have said that, too. - That's right.
They thought mentioning the short skirt would help them,
and the judge would take that into consideration.
Now, regarding the short skirt,
you can't say a woman's body or clothes...
were the cause of the sex crime.
- Judges don't take that into consideration. - Thank goodness.
They don't.
By not wearing such short skirts,
by putting on too much makeup,
or by being moderate about what we wear and put on our faces,
we could definitely avoid being categorized...
by the double standard of having to "be this way, but not too much".
But that won't make the problems disappear.
Even if you dress moderately,
those kinds of perceptions will still exist.
There will always be people who will grade, judge, and critique your body.
Let's say you're walking through the streets...
and you spot a woman with really thick legs wearing a tiny skirt.
You will hear people whispering,
"Did you see her legs? I can't believe she's wearing a skirt with those legs."
"Oh, my poor eyes."
You'll hear people say that.
I have definitely heard those words before too.
It was back when I was working on a TV program.
I went to the stylist...
and she would keep getting me these sleeveless shirts.
When I asked her if she could get me something with sleeves,
she took a look at my arms...
and said,
"It's summer."
"How do you expect to continue your work on TV like that?"
It felt like she was saying that people who had thick arms,
who couldn't wear sleeveless shirts were substandard.
Another person walked by, looked at my arms and said,
"You're getting lazy, aren't you?"
"You gained a lot of weight."
That really shocked me when they said that.
But do you really think these kinds of things...
that happen on the streets and TV stations...
are restricted to me individually?
(Are these just her personal problems?)
Think of the TV programs you watch back home.
Especially in variety shows,
there are a lot of men...
holding their positions there.
Those men look very different from each other.
- There are short men, tall men, - Haha.
- chubby men, thin men... - Jun-ha.
Jae-seok.
(Thin man, short man)
There are men who speak sweetly and men who speak roughly.
There are so many different types.
But for women, it's different.
Not only are there very few to begin with,
but if there are cute,
kind, young girls,
there is an opposite side where...
the women are too rough and not good at dressing themselves up.
There's a category for those types of women.
It's like someone...
made a rule where women should be like this or that.
We can't help but see that.
While watching women standardized in those kind of images,
we judge some traits to be more womanly than others.
We unconsciously accept those kinds of standards.
(We're influenced to think like that.)
I wish we're allowed two different forms of freedom.
First,
we should have the freedom to be allowed to wear...
what we love confidently.
I work out in my leggings these days because...
that's how I would like to express myself.
While I'm working out, when I wear leggings,
they make me so happy and comfortable.
She talks a lot about what we wear. I read something somewhere...
where you have to write down everything you did for that day.
Afterward, you have to circle things that you did for yourself.
But there are not a lot of people who circled more than two.
Women can't even circle what they wore that day.
Second,
we should be free from the assumptions of what other people's bodies...
should look like and what they should wear.
We should be free to express ourselves the way we want to.
We shouldn't make any remarks or comment on...
other people's bodies.
We should accept them for who they are.
Then, we can all be so much freer...
and become much more happier. At least, that's what I think.
When we can't even understand a person from their clothes,
can we say we can really...
understand them?
All I can hope for is that...
more and more people everywhere will raise their voice to speak their minds.
When people say they're feeling uncomfortable,
they're called sensitive or whiny.
I'm sure these kinds of things happen a lot.
But even though they're criticized for being sensitive,
I believe the world was changed by the very same people...
who admitted they were uncomfortable.
That's why I would rather be one of the many...
who say what's on their mind.
Without any more bias, or judgment,
I would like to remain as a person with a voice.
That's all I have to say for today. Thank you.
Can I say one thing?
I would like to...
recommend a trip to Japan for Jung-eun who can't wear her leggings here.
- You can wear whatever you want there for several days. - Yes.
When I travel abroad by myself,
I can wear whatever I want.
But when I arrive back to Incheon Airport,
- Right. - I can't wear them anymore.
Yes, you have to go change in the bathroom.
Yes, you're right. So I...
always wondered about why it's possible there but not possible here.
It's all due to my perception of...
how others look at me.
If this problem isn't fixed,
I couldn't help but think I'll be forced to be uncomfortable forever.
It's a tough issue to talk about,
but I still thought I should talk about it anyway.
When you go abroad, you can tell it's a Korean woman...
because they wear leggings over a dress,
or wear a T-shirt over their bikini.
At first,
I wondered why they would dress like that outside Korea.
But now I realized that it was all due to judgment.
It was all due to habit.
I'm sure they're very afraid of being judged for their bodies.
It's not only women but men are also judged for what they wear.
Women get weird looks for wearing leggings.
Men wear tight shirts, too.
Whether it's unsightly or not, they would like to wear it,
but women always react like this.
Rather than this be an issue about gender equality,
both sides should be able to wear what they want.
As a woman,
has it ever occurred to you...
that men are also weak beings?
When I look at fathers, I feel they are pressured...
by the title of being the head of a family.
People tell them, "Be stronger and be more responsible."
I believe they are forced to hear these kinds of things by society.
I really wish we can share those burdens together.
I'm speaking about the women's perspective...
because I'm a woman.
But whether someone's male or female,
I believe they shouldn't be stereotyped against their gender.
I just want everyone to get along.
I like short, tight outfits.
In my opinion,
they make me look really pretty...
and make me feel really good.
But, right now,
there are still a lot of people judging others for their outfits.
But when people like me are met with....
opposition from the morals of society,
do we have to fight back?
Or should we compromise?
I wanted to hear your thoughts.
As long as it doesn't completely go over the limits of society,
and as long as I feel comfortable,
I believe you can and should express yourself as best as you can.
In Korea, older women don't understand and are against...
girls wearing short skirts and showing too much skin.
I'm sure you agree.
But I would like to be the type of woman who can still wear skirts when I'm old.
So I believe you can wear whatever you want as long as it makes you happy.
I want to ask...
Well, before, you said people who speak out against...
what makes them uncomfortable change the world.
But when...
everyone starts complaining about what makes them uncomfortable,
don't you think that will create a lot of chaos?
In order for there to be change,
there has to be pain.
Whenever I think...
and worry about new things, I get drained.
- Yes. - I'm sure you know what I mean.
But for society...
to change,
I think it's only obvious that it will be painful.
That's why I chose to speak my mind.
I want to ask this to those people who are uncomfortable with hearing complaints.
Will they live with their smoke detectors off, just because they're noisy?
I believe the whiners play an important role in this society.
Do you have a great phrase book hidden somewhere?
(Do you have a phrase book hidden somewhere?)
Anyway, thank you for listening.
(A voice without bias or fear)
(Who's the last person up in this relay busking?)
(He's a scene stealer from "Age of Shadows".)
(He won't let anyone intimidate him when it comes to acting.)
(Heo Sung-tae, the 40-year-old rookie actor)
Hello.
I'm the selfish, newbie actor, Heo Sung-tae.
(We were waiting for you.)
I came because I wanted to ask if I made...
a selfish decision or not.
I was an ordinary office worker, but wasn't able to stay there.
It's because when I had to make a choice,
I made a very selfish decision. That's why I had to leave.
I really wanted to earn money by acting.
That's probably why I struggled so much.
I want to talk about a moment that felt like a miracle.
It was when Song Kang-ho slapped me on the face.
I suddenly realized that even though I'm being slapped, I felt so happy doing this.
Wow.
My mother would always worry about me,
saying I should stop it.
But then, she said, "You looked really cool as an actor in the movie."
Basically, what I want to say is...
if there's one way in which you can express love for yourself,
if there's a way in which I can say, "I love you, Sung-tae" to myself,
I say it's okay to make the selfish choice for once.
Because, if I was able to know about this...
when I was younger,
I believe that...
I could have reached my dreams more easily than how I did now.
Hello, I'm...
the selfish 40-year-old man,
Actor Heo Sung-tae.
(I'm the selfish 40-year-old rookie actor, Heo Sung-tae.)
You just introduced yourself as a selfish man.
But I think you're a miraculous man.
(The citizen made an amazing remark.)
You said it's okay for you to be selfish.
I believe I'm being selfish right now.
After appearing on As I Say,
my world started to change.
I ended up being the most searched name on Naver.
- I heard his life changed after appearing on this show. - And when I go on set,
instead of "Age of Shadows",
the staff members come to me...
and talk about how they saw me on As I Say.
They really come and look after me.
Even Song Kang-ho came and said, "Was it Say, Say, Say?"
"I heard you appeared on that."
He was happy things were looking up for me.
My mother, who would always worry about me, came and said,
"I didn't know you could speak so well."
"Now I don't have to worry about you anymore." But she still worries.
(His mother never changes.)
I got so many positive responses...
from social media...
that I get so many friend invites...
and messages of support every day.
Not only aspiring actors...
but a lot of middle-aged men also come...
and ask me for advice.
There are so many fathers...
who come and tell me they're going to try their best too.
Every time I got those messages,
I was so thankful, so I tried to reply back to everyone.
But suddenly,
I started to get afraid and thought I shouldn't reply back.
(He was afraid to reply back.)
I got a message from someone who's...
enrolled in one of the top universities in Korea.
He said,
"I studied really hard because..."
"they told me to..."
"and finally got into a university I thought I wanted to."
"But I'm starting to realize..."
"I'm not so sure about what I would like to do."
He asked if I had any advice for him.
When I got that message,
I stopped replying to anyone.
I got so scared after receiving that message.
(Sung-tae felt the heavy weight of his words.)
I felt that I had made a huge mistake.
So many people from all over the country...
want to make their dreams come true and be selfish for once.
I felt like I said something so carelessly.
I was worried I started something really bad so I wanted to elaborate on that.
That's why today,
I'll be talking about "Part Two of the Selfish Man".
I also want to carefully reply back to the...
questions which a lot of people asked me about.
He talked about the word "selfish" to describe his passion.
But he thinks this might...
influence someone. It's natural for him to think that way.
I feel like he came to fix his last busking.
(He came to fix his last busking.)
One of the most common questions I got...
was about choosing between making a living and chasing your dreams.
It's a very sensitive topic.
When I was conflicted with that issue,
it felt like it would kill me.
(It felt like it would kill me.)
I think making a living is a top priority.
When you become financially unstable and unable to live off what you make,
you practically lose your mind.
You can't do this or that.
Once, I was forced to feel humiliated while working part-time somewhere.
"Fine. I'll endure it for now."
"Because I have to endure."
I would often tell that to myself when I was working.
Right before Sung-tae came out on As I Say,
he was working various part-time jobs...
to make a living.
He wrapped up toy presents and such.
As I Say...
isn't just about famous people coming to tell their stories.
It's a place where rising stars like us...
can become famous after making their appearance.
During those times, you have to make a strategy.
If you want to live the way you want to,
you will have to take care of the financial problems first.
If you don't,
just like what Lee Jong-beom said, the expiration date...
will become... No, you'll just rot.
You'll perish.
You'll have to endure first if you want to dream about the next step.
We're not going to die within the next 1 or 2 years.
There's absolutely no reason to rush.
If you don't endure right now, there's no future.
It's strange how awkward but powerful his words are.
The next most common question came from aspiring actors.
They asked me if they could still become actors...
when they didn't major in acting.
I also didn't major in acting.
That made me feel upset countless times.
I also asked the same questions to my seniors.
It was tough to not have majored in that field.
I asked Song Kang-ho and Lee Bum-soo...
the very same question because I was worried about it.
They got really angry and said, "Who said that to you? Bring them here."
That's what they said to me.
Also, that lawyer over there only graduated from high school.
We also all know about how our president only graduated from high school.
See? I might make it big.
Kang Ho-dong and Seo Jang-hoon both started out as athletes.
But who knew they had a knack for show biz?
There are so many successful people who didn't major in their respective subject.
(There're many successful people who didn't major in that field.)
I think we all need to look at ourselves...
objectively, questioning whether...
we really want it and whether we can really do it.
(We need to look at ourselves objectively.)
If you act selfishly without looking at yourself objectively,
you start to become obstinate.
You'll make everyone around you have a hard time.
You'll start hurting others.
Hurting others...
to make your dreams come true is being really selfish.
That's why, I also...
hope to continue, always checking myself objectively.
I also hope that everyone who are still dreaming...
won't forget to look back on themselves...
and will put in effort to do so.
I'm sorry for almost causing something really bad, like a big fire.
(I'm sorry for almost causing a big fire.)
(The miraculous man's repair busking)
You told a lot of people...
you were sorry for almost causing such a fire,
but you already caused a fire to burn within me.
Oh no. He's an arsonist.
(Laughing)
But when you said that before,
we weren't going to be so influenced by your words...
that we would go out foolishly doing whatever we wanted.
I believe I just really needed to hear those words.
Because everyone around me...
always say, "It's impossible. Do you think that'll work?"
You showed us nothing's impossible.
That's why I was able to feel hope from your words.
So I don't think you should feel too burdened by what you said.
After hearing what you said,
I mustered up enough courage...
to move from Busan to Seoul.
I decided to take...
- a shot at this. - Goodness.
When I start thinking about it realistically,
I can't help but worry.
I'm doing this because I want to...
but even if I can't earn enough money to get by,
even then, will I still be able to be happy?
I would like to hear your thoughts.
While doing minor roles,
I got a chance to do 4 to 5...
minor roles a month in various different dramas.
That was about three years ago.
When I got to do that, I was really happy.
I was able to make enough to get by with that.
I was extremely happy.
I didn't care about becoming big or anything.
All I could think about was how happy I would be to continue living like this.
A lot of friends I know...
stopped their dreams to go work in restaurants to earn a living.
It's all right to go work there.
After you work there and get some energy back,
you can always start again.
You'll definitely come back.
Even if you go out to make a living,
you'll wonder what you're doing there and come back.
Whether it takes two or three years,
you have a lot of time. I started when I was 35 years old.
If someone who's 25 years old is worrying about the same thing,
that means you have 10 more years that I didn't have.
You don't need to feel rushed at all.
Just think of me whenever it gets tough.
I hope by doing that, you can become a little hopeful too.
Thank you.
(The emotional, repair busking ended.)
(As I Say)
That was the end of the whole relay busking event...
we had prepared for you today.
(What?)
I thought it was really snowing.
- What is this? - It's snowing.
(Amazed)
That snow really looks so fake.
First, let's clap for all the buskers out here...
and for all of you coming here to listen to them.
(Great job!)
The total amount we collected so far on As I Say...
was 1,073 dollars.
That means a total of 1,073 people...
were touched by what they heard.
That's amazing.
Before we started the busking today, the citizens have already donated their money.
The total amount we collected today...
is 42 dollars!
(About 42 people came to listen.)
So...
the total amount we have collected...
from 13 episodes this year...
is 1,115 dollars.
- Thank you. - Wow.
(That means 1,115 people came together.)
The money you have donated...
will be donated to a good place. At least that's what I wanted to say.
But we can finally reveal it.
As I Say always takes place on the streets.
The collected money...
will be donated in helping...
the homeless on the streets.
I hope the year 2017 will be full of happier things for you all.
This year has been extremely tough for Korea.
When I say "Even in 2017",
- if you would all yell "As I Say", - Nice.
I feel like we'll be able to make our dreams come true.
Everyone, we'll continue to do our best...
in the following year as well.
(Laughing)
In 1, 2, 3.
- Even in 2017, - Even in 2017,
- As I Say! - As I Say!
- Thank you. - Thank you.
- Thank you. - Great work.
(New Year's Special! A great lineup of buskers!)
(Mayor of Seongnam, Lee Jae-myung, Ghana's abnormal man, Sam Okyere)
(How much did you make from those?)
(Can you show us with your fingers?)
(We'll reveal how much she's really worth.)
(You're not conservative.)
(It's just the vested rights.)
(He goes all out on badmouthing everyone.)
(Haha finds a weak point.)
(You have pretty ears.)
(He's full of sincerity.)
(You have aspirations to become president.)
(Yes or no?)
(Yes.)
(My goodness.)
(A historical picture of very famous individuals!)
What are your dreams?
(In the middle of this Hell Joseon,)
(they're left to face the cold reality.)
(What is a black man like you doing in Korea?)
(Shocked)
(Her sincere lyrics)
(She comforts them with a warm hug.)
(The first busking of the New Year will begin!)
(As I Say)
Subtitles by OnDemandKorea