[Just Bright] Hong Jin-kyung: Are you tired now? No

※ In <Just Bright>, as Korean variety shows continue to expand globally, reporter Jeong Bit shines a spotlight on the variety stars who deserve attention.

[Sportschosun reporter Jeong Bit] "Oh my! What is that?"

The moment her long limbs carved a silhouette across the runway, a gasp escaped almost involuntarily. It was the return of a model who once defined an era.

Hong Jin-kyung's appearance in MBC's recently concluded 'Sora and Jin-kyung' was nothing short of astonishing. After leaving the modeling world behind without regret because of the scars and trauma of past failures, Hong Jin-kyung stepped back onto the Paris runway in her 50s. Despite the long hiatus, she made her presence felt even among active Western models.

Her walk at a private, small-scale show for a high-end brand was especially impressive. She calmly and elegantly carried two looks at a distance very close to the audience. It clearly proved why Hong Jin-kyung is the first Korean model for Benetton and a legend praised by world-renowned designer Demna Gvasalia of Balenciaga. Her comeback as 'model Hong Jin-kyung,' someone who understands clothes and writes a story through movement, was enough to send a thrilling shiver through the public.

But the moment she stepped off the runway, Hong Jin-kyung returned to being the 'goddess of variety' we love most. In Netflix's newly launched season of 'Screwballs,' the elegance of 'Sora and Jin-kyung' is nowhere to be found. Instead, she becomes an outrageous character who gives birth to quadruplets in a life-or-death game and lives at 1.5 times the speed of ordinary life. Viewers cannot help but laugh as she sits there, firmly believing Joo Woo-jae's boastful line, "Don't worry about Jin-kyung noona."

The same is true on KBS2's 'Problem Child in House.' What is more entertaining than answering the quiz is the way she takes in the questions. Her offbeat ideas, unpredictable reactions, and quick wit in building on what others say are the result of years of accumulated skill.

This shows that Hong Jin-kyung is not simply an entertainer who relies on physical comedy or one-off laughs. Her warm empathy that embraces the studio and her perfectly timed sense of humor are the weapons that make her shine even brighter.

Her true value can also be seen in YouTube's 'Study King Jin Genius.' She says she does not know when she does not know, and admits when she feels embarrassed. In fact, it is not easy to be unashamed of what you do not know. That is especially true for someone who has stood before the public for so many years. Driven by a pure desire to learn, Hong Jin-kyung stood in front of the camera, never pretending to know more than she did, and turned her unvarnished self into content.

That is likely why so many stars and public figures from different fields have appeared on 'Study King Jin Genius.' People are drawn to Hong Jin-kyung's attitude more than her knowledge. She does not act superior, acknowledges what she does not know, and moves forward one step at a time toward learning. That sincerity eventually helped the channel surpass 1.79 million subscribers.

The name Hong Jin-kyung has continued to evolve. To some, she is a successful businesswoman. To others, she is the best broadcaster. More recently, she has been Hong Jin-kyung the model who overcame trauma and completed the Paris runway, Hong Jin-kyung the entertainer who makes people laugh across Netflix and terrestrial TV, and Hong Jin-kyung the student who still wants to learn something new.

If you ask Hong Jin-kyung, who is walking the hottest runway right now, "Are you tired now?" the answer would surely still be "No." Just like that viral meme.

Reporter Jeong Bit rightlight@sportschosun.com