[Sportschosun, Kim Soo-hyun] Comedian Heo Kyung-hwan suffered an unintended 'lower-body disaster' when his pants ripped during a water activity.
The MBC variety show 'What Are You Doing When You Play?' aired on the 4th with its 'What Are You Doing When You Play? Diary' episode. Directed by Kim Jin-yong, Lee Joo-won, Kim Ki-ho, Ahn Ji-seon, Bang Seong-soo, and Park Eun-jin, and written by Noh Min-seon, the episode followed a peaceful yet chaotic day for village youth chairman Yoo Jae-suk and the four young members, Haha, Heo Kyung-hwan, Joo Woo-jae, and Kwak Bum, in 'What Are You Doing When You Play? Village.'
The show recorded a 4.0 percent household rating in the Seoul metropolitan area, ranking first among Saturday variety shows and in its time slot. Its key 2049 rating, a core indicator of channel competitiveness that reflects changes in media consumption habits, came in at 2.6 percent, also placing first among Saturday variety shows and in the same time slot. The highest-rated minute, which peaked at 5.4 percent, was the scene in which Heo Kyung-hwan struggled so intensely to climb a slide that his pants tore apart. (Based on Nielsen Korea's Seoul metropolitan area data)
The 'What Are You Doing When You Play? Village' youth association watched the soccer match between the Republic of South Africa together and cheered loudly. Yoo Jae-suk alone ended up missing the first half after being chosen to run an errand. Whenever he stepped outside the gate, the members turned up their cheering on purpose to tease him. After being mocked for the umpteenth time, Yoo Jae-suk returned from the errand in a foul mood, only to hear that the first half had already ended.
When the second half began, the members begged Yoo Jae-suk, who had to go dig potatoes, saying, "We need to cheer for at least one more person. If we don't cheer, we'll lose because of us (?)" In the end, a random draw sent Haha, Joo Woo-jae, and Kwak Bum to the potato field. Joo Woo-jae and Kwak Bum tried to game the system by harvesting extra potatoes in case they were picked again next time, while Haha, who arrived late, fought a fierce battle to snatch potatoes from the younger members.
But the soccer team lost, and the mood quickly turned gloomy. Yoo Jae-suk said, "Just because we lost at soccer doesn't mean your mood should become your attitude," but he reacted sharply in a way that suggested otherwise. He also declared, "Let's not talk about soccer from now on," yet his lingering frustration made everyone laugh.
Afterward, they headed to a 'natural water park' set between fields and rice paddies for a safety check. They then came up with water-play games and held a slide-climbing contest. Heo Kyung-hwan, in particular, suffered a major mishap when his pants were ripped to shreds by his excessive competitive spirit. Shocked by the unexpected lower-body exposure, he panicked and tried to cover himself with a tube, shouting, "Ah, what am I supposed to do!" but he could not recover. Seeing this, Haha joked, "If you look at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, there are a lot of people dressed like that."
Meanwhile, Kim Won-hoon, an uninvited guest on set, made a surprise appearance and stunned everyone. Two weeks earlier, he had auditioned for a short-form drama and showed up in Yangpyeong County after tracking everyone down, saying, "Why did you say you'd call me and then not contact me?" and "Even if you don't invite me, I'll still come." Kwak Bum then mentioned the rumor among comedians that 'What Are You Doing When You Play?' is a free pass, saying, "They say if you go even without an official guest booking, senior Yoo Jae-suk will accept everything."
Kim Won-hoon eventually left after landing the ending fairy role, and the members buzzed, asking, "You're just leaving like that?" Meanwhile, this episode's guest Kwak Bum widened his eyes and said, "But if you come, it really does become a shoot, doesn't it? Where are we going next week?" His opportunistic energy drew laughs.
In the preview for next week's episode, the show teased 'Money War in Gumi,' which will follow country boys visiting the hometown of Lee Seon-min, 'Sseuk-sseuk-i,' in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, raising expectations. MBC's 'What Are You Doing When You Play?' airs every Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
shyun@sportschosun.com
