[Sportschosun reporter Ahn So-yoon] Kim Sook, the MC of ENA’s ‘Not_found,’ shared her thoughts after watching a wide range of ‘avatar spending’ experiences.
Premiering on September 27, ENA’s ‘Not_found’ is a variety show about living for a day by following another person’s spending exactly for 24 hours. As the cast members try to deduce the identity of the ‘real person’ from clues hidden in the spending records, people with different tastes and lifestyles directly experience someone else’s purchases and create an unexpected day.
When Kim Sook first encountered the show’s unique concept, she honestly recalled, “They want me to take just one receipt someone else used and live by following it? I wondered, ‘Can this really work?’” However, her perspective changed once filming began. “There was something fascinating about looking into that person’s day by following the receipt. Even a single receipt revealed the person’s tastes, daily life, and even their mood that day, so I often got goosebumps while hosting,” she said. After filming ended, she added, “I became so immersed that whenever I saw a receipt on the street, I found myself wondering, ‘What did this person do today?’” drawing laughter.
Kim Sook, who has hosted a variety of entertainment programs, said the show’s distinguishing feature is the unpredictable nature of each day, which changes depending on whose spending the cast follows. “Unexpected situations arise every time, depending on whether the person is a big eater or a light eater, and whether they are emotional or practical,” she explained. “There is also a strange thrill and sense of vicarious satisfaction that comes from having unexpected experiences I would never have tried with my own money.” She also cited the fun of solving the mystery of the ‘real person’ based solely on clues hidden in the spending, asking, “Who on earth does this receipt belong to?”
After observing all kinds of spending on the show, Kim Sook also revealed her firm spending philosophy. “I tend not to hold back when something is practical or helps enrich my experiences,” she said. She prefers to buy quality products that improve her quality of life, such as household appliances she can use for a long time, and said she also invests generously in hobbies she enjoys, including camping and fishing. On the other hand, she said, “I’m not particularly interested in trendy luxury goods bought to impress others or overly ostentatious items,” adding, “No matter how expensive something is, if it doesn’t suit my lifestyle and is inconvenient, I eventually stop reaching for it. What matters most is that it’s practical and comfortable.”
Even Kim Sook had something she would like to try at least once with someone else’s money: a luxury hotel penthouse costing more than 1 million won per night. “I’m curious about it, but whenever I consider paying for it myself, my first thought is, ‘With that money, I could put together a full set of camping gear...’ So I can’t bring myself to pay,” she said. “If it were someone else’s money, I’d like to experience it at least once,” she added, prompting laughter.
Finally, Kim Sook emphasized that the show “is not simply a program about seeing who spent how much and where.” She continued, “As you follow along and ask, ‘Why did this person spend this money here?’ you naturally come to see that person’s tastes and lifestyle through their spending.” She added, “I hope viewers will also enjoy following someone else’s day while trying to figure out the identity of the ‘real person’ together,” highlighting the show’s key appeal.
Reporter Ahn So-yoon antahn22@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
