[Sportschosun Kim Soo-hyun] On KBS2's "Boss in the Mirror," directed by Choi Seung-hee, Jun Hyun-moo and Lee Young-pyo will share candid behind-the-scenes stories from their World Cup broadcast.
"Boss in the Mirror" is a program that follows Korean bosses as they voluntarily practice empathy and self-reflection to create a more rewarding workplace. It has remained popular, ranking No. 1 in its time slot for 211 consecutive weeks as of the previous episode, according to Nielsen Korea.
In the episode airing on the 28th, the show will reveal behind-the-scenes moments from Jun Hyun-moo's first World Cup broadcast, which took him to Monterrey, Mexico. On the 25th, he served as an announcer for the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup group-stage match between South Korea and South Africa, showing his professionalism in his main job.
He had been preparing for the broadcast on just two hours of sleep a day, pushing himself hard. His gaunt appearance and hoarse voice even drew attention as a form of "forced dieting." Later, at the gathering in Mexico, Jun Hyun-moo, Lee Young-pyo, Lee Kyung-kyu, Jung Ho-young, and Yang Joon-hyuk came together to share their first impressions of the broadcast and stories from the match.
That day, Lee Young-pyo apologized on behalf of the football community, saying, "I'm sorry. We should have won," which drew sympathy. Jun Hyun-moo said, "I thought I would lose my voice from shouting for shots," and added, "But after the fifth minute of the first half, nothing happened." Lee Kyung-kyu also responded calmly, saying, "I've cheered for countless games, but this made me realize something like this can happen."
Lee Young-pyo then spoke frankly about his line, "If you want to score, move into the center." He explained, "It was originally a twist on 'Those who do not work shall not eat.' It was a total mess, impossible to pick just one problem. It was hard to confirm the structure, the purpose, or even why they had to run. I have been broadcasting for more than 10 years, but this was the hardest match to commentate on, explain, and understand."
Lee Kyung-kyu also gave a vivid account of the tense scene when Kim Min-jae was substituted in. He said, "The spot where we were cheering was right behind the South Korea bench. I saw his excited reaction right in front of me when Kim Min-jae came on." His firsthand account added to the sense of immediacy surrounding the substitution.
At the end, Lee Young-pyo said, "This match was the best possible scenario for a broadcaster," but also encouraged Jun Hyun-moo, saying, "My first commentary was worth 20 points, but Jun Hyun-moo's broadcast was worth 80. At this level, he could handle all of South Korea's sports broadcasts." He added, "It makes us feel responsible to work even harder."
Meanwhile, the "KBS North and Central America World Cup match against South Africa" drew a 10.7% viewership rating, taking first place in its time slot, according to Nielsen Korea. The behind-the-scenes story of the World Cup broadcast, highlighted by the chemistry between Jun Hyun-moo and Lee Young-pyo, will be revealed in the upcoming episode.
"Boss in the Mirror" airs every Sunday at 4:40 p.m.
Shyun@sportschosun.com
