Kim Dae-ho compares 14 years of MBC pay with 14 months of freelance earnings

Former MBC announcer and broadcaster Kim Dae-ho spoke candidly about how his income changed after leaving the network and becoming a freelancer. Appearing on tvN STORY's Namgyeoseo Mwo Hage on June 1, Kim revealed what his earnings have looked like since making the transition.

When Lee Young-ja and Park Se-ri saw Kim Dae-ho, they were surprised by his outfit. The two remarked that they had never seen him dressed that way before and that he looked different. Kim explained why he had made more of an effort with his clothes, saying people had told him not to go around looking too shabby.

Lee Young-ja responded with a line that sounded somewhere between praise and a jab. She said it seemed his appearance fees must have started coming in, adding that his clothes had become much neater and prettier and that he now gave off the clear impression of a freelancer.

Lee Dae-ho also mentioned that he had a connection with Park Se-ri through MBC's Pook Swimeon Dahaengiya. Kim Dae-ho then brought up his hobby room and described the private world he has built for himself after living alone for a long time. He said that because he had lived by himself for many years, he naturally began doing all kinds of things on his own.

Kim explained that he has two homes attached to each other and turned the upper unit into a hobby room. The space includes a vivarium, comics, movies, a sauna, and even a sandy area. He said that when he breaks away from routine there, he feels proud. At the same time, he admitted that, depending on how it is viewed, the place can look messy and chaotic. Rather than reacting with, "Why is an announcer like that?" he said he was grateful that people looked at him as someone who simply lives in that kind of way.

When Lee Young-ja brought up Kim Dae-ho's nickname as "the Kian84 of the announcer world," Kim pushed back, saying he is a little different from Kian84. He then jokingly aired his frustration, saying Kian84 has become more socialized these days and now even points things out to him.

Kim Dae-ho also reflected on how he entered MBC. He joined the broadcaster through Rookie Employee, an audition program that publicly recruited announcers. Kim said he had never even considered a job that would put him in front of a camera. However, after studying hard while retaking the college entrance process, he said he let go of his studies once he entered university, and his grades fell sharply.

At the time, Kim was working a part-time job as a manager at a gosiwon, a small-room residence often used by students and job seekers. He said he happened to see a television caption about the audition, which became the reason he decided to try out for Rookie Employee.

About one year and three months have passed since Kim left MBC and moved into freelance work. When asked whether the difference in income was shocking when compared by amount, Kim answered yes. He said it was a sum that would not be easy to see while working as a salaried employee.

Lee Young-ja then asked whether, in terms of sales, his freelance income was about the same as what he earned over 14 years. Kim looked uncomfortable with the question and gave an ambiguous reply, saying it was somewhere around that range.

Kim said that while he was at MBC, his annual salary was about 100 million won, but after becoming a freelancer, it seemed to take him less than half a year to earn that annual salary. He emphasized, however, that he is working far harder now, saying he works ten times as much and is truly putting in serious effort.

Asked where he spent his first major sum of money after going freelance, Kim said he gave spending money to his family. When Lee Young-ja asked whether it was in the tens of millions of won or in the hundreds of millions, Kim replied that it seemed to be somewhere in between and said he had given them a considerable amount.