[Sportschosun Reporter Lee Ji-hyun] Broadcaster Shin Jung-hwan opened up about his regrets as he reflected on his life after passing through a glamorous heyday and a lengthy period of self-reflection. In particular, his admissions that he "would not have met bad people and would have kept them at a distance" and that he "was not good at distinguishing right from wrong" naturally brought to mind the period when he had to leave the broadcasting industry following his overseas gambling scandal and the so-called "false dengue-fever explanation."
On the 15th, a video titled "Shin Jung-hwan and Tak Jae-hoon's Human Story [Country Kkokko]" was released on the YouTube channel Human Story.
The video showed Shin Jung-hwan's current life running a dakgalbi restaurant in Seoul, as well as his meeting with Tak Jae-hoon, with whom he performed as Country Kkokko.
That day, Shin Jung-hwan looked back on the period in his 20s and 30s when he enjoyed his greatest success in broadcasting. He began by saying, "What did I know in my late 20s? I met and spent time with people without being able to tell whether they were good or bad."
He continued, "I thought broadcasting was just a lifelong career and that I would keep earning good money, so I really went wild without knowing any better." He candidly added, "I had no separate goal. I thought, 'I would probably keep living like this for the rest of my life.'"
At the time, Shin Jung-hwan was at the height of his career, appearing in various entertainment programs, including Country Kkokko, Sangsang Plus, and Radio Star. However, his broadcasting career took a sharp downturn after an overseas gambling scandal in the Philippines in 2010.
After allegations of overseas gambling emerged in Cebu, the Philippines, in 2010, Shin Jung-hwan repeatedly failed to attend scheduled program recordings. At the time, he explained through his fan café, alongside photos of himself hospitalized locally, that he was receiving treatment for dengue fever. It was later revealed that the explanation was untrue, adding a controversy over lying to the gambling scandal.
Shin Jung-hwan was eventually indicted on charges of habitual gambling, sentenced to eight months in prison in 2011, and released on parole in December of that year. He subsequently remained largely absent from broadcasting activities for an extended period.
Perhaps because of this, Shin Jung-hwan first mentioned personal relationships when asked that day how he would live if he could return to the past. He said, "I probably would have lived my life very carefully, distinguishing between good and bad people." He added, "I would not have met bad people and would have kept them at a distance."
He continued, "When I was young, I quickly became close to just about anyone and trusted people without hesitation." He expressed regret, saying, "I should also have met people who could advise me and offer me candid counsel about whether something was good or bad, but at that age, I could not distinguish those things well. I was not good at discerning right from wrong."
He added, "If I could go back to that time, I probably would have shown many people a better side of myself if I had embraced and stayed alongside the acquaintances and younger friends who gave me good advice or harsh truths."
This is also consistent with the feelings Shin Jung-hwan has expressed since his overseas gambling scandal and false dengue-fever explanation. At a press conference marking his return to broadcasting in 2017, he said the false dengue-fever explanation remained a major stain on his life and expressed regret.
After a lengthy hiatus, Shin Jung-hwan also shared how his mindset has changed. He said, "I think I do not have much time or many years left in which I can work, because my hiatus and period of self-reflection were both so long." He added, "If a new opportunity or chance comes my way, I want to try until the end, even if I fall. I want to take on anything."
He said that in the past, he often rejected even favorable offers when his manager proposed work, responding, "I don't want to do it," "It's too hard," or "Let's do it later." He added, "I often think, 'Why didn't I do those things?' I feel that I should do everything while I am still somewhat healthy."
He also said that his concerns about the future had grown since entering his 50s. Shin Jung-hwan confessed, "I still have so many thoughts these days. I was actually late in preparing for the future and retirement. I still have not prepared, so my thoughts are tangled like a web."
Even so, he showed his determination not to miss the opportunity he had been given again. He said, "I believe life itself is a continuous series of challenges," adding, "Rather than focusing on the glory of the past, I will focus on reality and live well."
He then made a pledge to the fans who still remember and support him: "For those people, I will work hard to reach the finish line and cross it properly, so that I can be remembered as someone who gave life another earnest try."
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
