On the 13th, a video titled “The God I Met, Are You Curious? | Comedian Kim Yong-man” was released on the YouTube channel ‘Make Me New’.
During the video, Kim Yong-man spoke about the KBS 7th open recruitment class, mentioning that it included Nam Hee-seok, Yoo Jae-suk, Park Soo-hong, and Kim Guk-jin, noting they were called the “Golden Generation.” He recalled, “At the time, Joo Byung-jin and Lee Kyung-kyu were incredibly popular on MBC. I think KBS wanted to recruit talents who were likable and had great speaking skills.”
Recalling the days when he gained popularity rapidly right after his debut, he shared, “I received so many program offers. I had five fixed programs and was even hosting a radio show.”
However, he opened up about the pressure he felt at the time, saying, “To others, it looked like I was doing well, but I felt the burden.” He revealed, “While I was lying in the hospital for back surgery, watching my own broadcasts made me feel like a puppet.” He explained that he, Kim Guk-jin, Kim Soo-yong, and Park Soo-hong had formed a team called Gamjagol. “During a meeting, I remembered how Seo Taiji and Boys announced their temporary retirement after the massive hit of their first album. That’s when the idea came up, ‘Let’s take a break and study for a while,'” he said.
He also reflected, “I thought I might become a comedian who just does whatever the PDs tell them and eventually gets discarded.” He added, “I should have worked together with the production staff, but I think I viewed myself too highly back then.”
Kim Yong-man shared, “The four of us announced a total halt to all broadcasting activities and even called in reporters for the announcement.” He added, “After the interviews, I went down to Busan, and when I returned to Seoul, the world had turned upside down.”
He further explained, “Ultimately, I was permanently expelled from the Korea Entertainment Association.” He noted that resolving the situation was not easy, and after receiving permission from MBC to briefly state his position, he left for the United States.
