Jeong Jun-ha Turns Out to Have Been Lee Hwi-jae’s Manager Before His Debut: “The Biggest Star of His Time” (Ha-Wa-Soo)

[Sportschosun Kim So-hee] Broadcaster Jeong Jun-ha revealed that he worked as Lee Hwi-jae’s manager before making his debut.

On the 5th, the YouTube channel ‘Ha-Wa-Soo’ uploaded a video titled ‘“Give Up on This Life”—Ha-Wa-Soo’s Somewhat Strange Comedy Masterclass (with Eom Ji-yoon, Lee Jae-yool, and Kang Hyun-seok).’

The video showed Park Myung-soo and Jeong Jun-ha meeting junior comedians Eom Ji-yoon, Lee Jae-yool, and Kang Hyun-seok to give them a masterclass on comedy. Drawing on their years of broadcasting experience and personal comedy philosophies, the two shared various insights with the younger comedians.

That day, Jeong Jun-ha looked back on his past and opened up about the process that led him to enter the entertainment industry.

Jeong Jun-ha said, “I took the college entrance exam four times. In fact, during my third attempt, I did all kinds of part-time jobs,” explaining that he had done various work, from moving goods in a cold-storage warehouse to delivering milk. He said he experienced many different jobs while getting through a difficult period in his life.

At one point, Jeong Jun-ha began working as Lee Hwi-jae’s manager. Looking back, he said, “That’s how I ended up becoming Lee Hwi-jae’s manager. I was the manager of Lee Hwi-jae, the biggest star of his time.”

After entering the entertainment industry through his work as Lee Hwi-jae’s manager, Jeong Jun-ha later made his debut as a broadcaster and began pursuing his own path. He then reached another major turning point in his life after joining his signature program, ‘Infinite Challenge.’

While explaining his persona, Jeong Jun-ha recalled his time on ‘Infinite Challenge.’ In particular, he spoke candidly about how the so-called “tank” character he played on the program came to be.

Jeong Jun-ha jokingly expressed his confidence, saying, “I had the highest IQ. I played the fool because I was a genius.” But he soon opened up about how he really felt at the time: “While doing ‘Infinite Challenge,’ I thought, ‘Ah, this is wrong.’ At first, it just kept piling up. It was incredibly difficult.”

He continued, “I was so intimidated that I couldn’t come back with a response whenever I said something. But at some point, I casually threw out a remark, and the people next to me found it funny.” He explained that this was how his character gradually began to take shape.

Jeong Jun-ha said that a remark he casually made when he felt wronged ended up making viewers laugh. “I was upset, but somehow, throwing out a single remark really resonated with people,” he said.

By taking on the role of absorbing teasing and attacks while occasionally delivering an unexpected line, Jeong Jun-ha gradually completed a character uniquely his own. He said, “That’s when I slowly began to find my place. That’s how Ha-Wa-Soo came to be, and that’s how I’ve made it this far.”

He added, “After spending a period of patience on ‘Infinite Challenge’ and living the life of a tank, I’m now enjoying my 13th prime,” reflecting on his current activities.

Kim So-hee, Reporter yaqqol@sportschosun.com

This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.