Lee Seo Jin gives up on Seo In-young after '5-year-old' user manual

“If you lose a staring contest, Haru will have a hard time,” “You must treat her like a 5-year-old boy,” and “You even have to manage her fingernails.”

Laughter erupted as the so-called 'Seo In-young User Manual' was delivered to the managers of the SBS variety show 'My Grumpy Secretary,' which tasks them with 'serving' singer Seo In-young. Ultimately, after hearing the lengthy handover details, Lee Seo Jin and Kim Kwang Kyu effectively gave up on their roles as Seo In-young's managers.

During the broadcast, Kim Kwang Kyu first brought up the strong existing image surrounding Seo In-young. He noted that she had heard labels such as "too strong," "swears a lot," "has severe spending habits," and "the queen of power trips." Lee Seo Jin also responded with his characteristic bluntness, directly mentioning suspicions that he had used profanity toward staff on past filming sets.

There are aspects of Seo In-young's past image that are difficult to explain through simple broadcast characters alone. Having risen to stardom through her activities with Jewelry in the early 2000s, she subsequently built a unique character in variety programs with her unrestrained speech and strong self-assertion. As the modifier 'strong unnie' followed her like a brand, her fashion, private life, and behavior became subjects of intense public interest.

In that process, several controversies arose. In particular, issues surrounding profanity, attitude, and power trips were repeatedly linked to Seo In-young's name, and she herself has mentioned the need for change in recent broadcasts, admitting to some of her past behaviors.

In this episode of 'My Grumpy Secretary,' those past images were called upon again as a variety show device. Seo In-young's manager warned the two that she might attempt to dominate them through a staring contest when they first meet, saying, "You must not avoid eye contact." The explanation continued that if they lose in the hierarchy or psychological warfare, it could result in a difficult schedule all day long.

When Kim Kwang Kyu asked, "Didn't you say she has reformed?", the manager replied, "She is currently in the process of reforming."

While emphasizing that she has changed from the past, the explanation that she is still moody and sensitive followed, weaving the strong character of her past and her current changes into a single variety narrative.

In particular, the manager advised that because Seo In-young has been dieting for about a month and is in a sensitive state, "Please do not think of her as a woman, but think of her as a 5-year-old boy." The manager added that when she does well, it is easier to work if you pat her on the back.

Lee Seo Jin's reaction was immediate. He expressed absurdity, asking, "Isn't she not a baby? Isn't she in her 40s?", and added with a straight face, "I really hate 5-year-old boys. I hate young boys," which drew laughter. As the manager explained that she turns into a newborn and becomes even more whiny and moody when she is with her manager, Lee Seo Jin's expression grew even more stiff.

Ultimately, Lee Seo Jin launched a direct hit regarding Seo In-young's personality, saying, "There is a problem with her personality. That's why there are so many issues. People don't change."

As Seo In-young's manager repeatedly defended her, saying, "She is not a problematic person. It's all old news. She is in the process of reforming," a strange tension and comedy were formed between the two simultaneously.

Even regarding questions about her swearing habits, the manager asserted, "She doesn't swear. She absolutely does not."

However, as the explanation soon followed that the manager even has to take care of her fingernails, the patience of Lee Seo Jin and Kim Kwang Kyu reached its limit.

Kim Kwang Kyu expressed disgust, saying, "The manager handover alone took 15 minutes," and Lee Seo Jin declared, "I can't do it. I'll come back next year. I don't think I can."

In the end, both of them appeared to give up on 'serving' Seo In-young, which became the key comedic point of the broadcast.

What is interesting is that this scene simultaneously shows Seo In-young's past and present. While her strong words and actions once functioned as a differentiated character asset in the entertainment industry, after time has passed, the same actions can be reinterpreted through the frame of 'sensitivity' or 'personality issues.'

Seo In-young herself has recently been talking about change by admitting to a certain extent rather than unconditionally denying her past self. While admitting past actions and accepting all the criticisms surrounding her at that time as facts are separate matters, her movement to redefine her own image for herself is clearly visible.

Variety shows are a genre that consumes such processes of change most quickly and lightly. As the manager's explanation of her being 'in the process of reforming' met Lee Seo Jin's cynical joke that "people don't change," the show used laughter to explore where Seo In-young stands between her past persona and her current self.

Ultimately, this 'Seo In-young User Manual' was more than just a service manual. It served as a character report, showing how much Seo In-young has changed in front of a public that still remembers her 'strong unnie' image, and how long those past images continue to follow her. When Lee Seo Jin and Kim Kwang Kyu finally threw up their hands and said, "I can't do it," the new variety character of 'reforming Seo In-young' was once again vividly established.