[Sportschosun reporter Lee Ji-hyun] Actor Yoon Kyung-ho ultimately failed at his "13-hour vow of silence," which he began as a ratings promise for the drama "Manager Kim." Even with a penalty that added five minutes for every word he spoke, he eventually broke his silence and ended up with 15 extra minutes, drawing laughs.
On the SBS Power FM program "Cultwo Show" aired on the 13th, lead actors Yoon Kyung-ho, Joo Sang-wook, and Son Na-eun from the drama "Manager Kim" appeared.
That day, Yoon Kyung-ho joined the live radio broadcast while continuing the "13-hour vow of silence" that began at 7 a.m. Since he could not speak, he shared his thoughts by writing on a prepared board.
Holding up the board, Yoon Kyung-ho wrote his first sentence: "I only have 13 chances to write." He then wrote, "I am so happy and grateful to be here. I am deeply sorry that I cannot speak with you. If I get another chance later, I will make sure to share everything I could not say today," drawing laughter from the cast and listeners.
Joo Sang-wook then said, "If Yoon Kyung-ho speaks, the time gets extended by five minutes each time," and boldly suggested, "Talk for an hour and make the time even longer." Son Na-eun also drew attention when she testified, "He spoke while preparing for 'Cultwo Show,' so the time has already been extended by five minutes."
Yoon Kyung-ho then wrote on the board, "Can I speak at length all at once?" and eventually broke his silence about seven hours after the vow began. He poured out the story behind his appearance in "Manager Kim" and the ratings promise without pausing, finally releasing all the words he had been holding back.
He said, "I am grateful to be taking on this challenge. But I still do not really understand why I have to do it," and added, "I thought I would leave without saying a word, but I am still thankful that I can let you hear my voice." As he continued talking about episode 6, his voice was no longer heard on air when the first segment ended.
However, he continued speaking in the studio and wrapped up his remarks. After using 2 minutes and 30 seconds, Yoon Kyung-ho was given another five minutes.
Audience members also suggested a Marine Corps greeting to Yoon Kyung-ho, who plays a former Marine in the drama. After hesitating, he briefly said, "For the record, I am not in the Marine Corps," and then gave the "Semper fi"-style greeting, adding another five minutes.
Finally, when a 25 percent viewership promise was suggested, Yoon Kyung-ho said, "I only want to make a promise once. I do not want to act recklessly in the future," and added, "I hope Joo Sang-wook makes the next promise." In the end, Yoon Kyung-ho finished the day on a cheerful note after adding 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, Yoon Kyung-ho's vow of silence was meant to honor the ratings promise he made at the production presentation for "Manager Kim." At the time, he said, "Since So Ji-sub is returning to SBS after 13 years, I hope a second season will be produced if the ratings exceed 13 percent." Joo Sang-wook then suggested, "Then do a 13-hour vow of silence," and Yoon Kyung-ho promised, "If the ratings surpass 13 percent and my schedule can be arranged, I will do a 13-hour vow of silence."
The promise became reality much faster than expected. "Manager Kim" opened with a 9.5 percent nationwide rating on Nielsen Korea, then surpassed the 13 percent mark by its second episode with 15.7 percent. It later broke through 20 percent in episode 4 with 21.6 percent, and episode 6, aired on the 11th, set a new series high with 22.3 percent, continuing its strong run.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
