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When the TV presenter Kang Su-jung (30) attracted publicity for walking away from public network KBS to go freelance, a friend of her mother¡¯s asked innocently, ¡°Hasn¡¯t she quit already?" For some, in other words, Kang had long epitomized a trend among presenters to remake themselves as roving celebrities.
Kang¡¯s first project after shaking off the shackles was "Full of Pride" for the private broadcaster SBS. In her debut on the program on Jan. 1, Kang told the comedians Kang Ho-dong and Park Su-hong that she has been watching porn since the age of 10. Viewer ratings shot up 3 percent. Kang says she was originally inspired by the KBS newsreader Hwang Hyun-jung. ¡°Everybody wanted to be like her, not just me. The way she slightly lowered her head when the news ended and the titles appeared on the screen, she looked fascinating,¡± Kang says. But the opportunity to present the news never came.
It took a while until she realized that the problem was not a lack of opportunities but talent. "I started to think deeply about what my strength is,¡± she said. Instead, she got a strange job offer to guest on "Heroine 5", a part of the KBS variety show "Happy Sunday." It seemed strange to the audience too, a presenter acting alongside professional entertainers. "I played a character who is very naive and often fooled by others. On the program, I was bad at dancing. I didn't look smart at all. Other presenters advised me to quit the program as soon as possible. They said it was bad for my image," she said. A month later, Kang went to the program's producer and the head of the entertainment department and asked to be excused.
But they told her the show was a great opportunity and asked her to be more patient. ¡°As an employee, I had to do what they said." Appearing on the show for two years, Kang was sometimes accused of getting paid for having fun for an hour. Not so, says Kang. "We had to work hard for 10 hours for a one-hour program." Meanwhile, the job she long coveted, as KBS news anchor, went to Kim Kyung-ran. "I envied her,¡± Kang admits. ¡°Frankly, I¡¯m jealous of her. But I know it isn't for me." What does she dream about for her 40s? Does she want to be a Korean Oprah Winfrey? No. "I may have two kids by that time. I want to be a good mother while hosting a program for homemakers. I want to be a good wife too. And I want to look as slim as today or even slimmer. Am I too greedy?"
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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