Lee Sung-mi Says Kim Ki-ri's First Impression Made Her Think He Was on Drugs: 'His Condition Was So Serious'

Korean comedian Lee Sung-mi opened up about the first time she met her junior colleague Kim Ki-ri, saying she once misunderstood his condition so badly that she thought he might be using drugs. Kim Ki-ri explained that his behavior at the time came from severe fatigue and the harsh environment he endured as a newcomer in broadcasting, and he spoke candidly about what he was going through then.

On July 6, a video was released on Lee Sung-mi's YouTube channel, Lee Sung-mi's Motganda, under the title, "Games, Alcohol, Cigarettes... The Addiction He Could Not Quit and the Decisive Turning Point That Changed Kim Ki-ri's Life."

During the episode, Lee looked back on the moment she first met Kim about 10 years ago at a Christian faith gathering. "When I first saw him, I honestly thought he was someone who was high on drugs," she said. "It was to the point where I thought, 'That young man definitely seems to be doing drugs.'"

Kim responded with a laugh and admitted, "I really was that distracted." Remembering his state at the time, he added that his mind had felt as if it was somewhere else entirely.

Lee explained that she had been running a faith gathering called Hajahoe with junior comedians at the time. "Kwon Jae-gwan brought Kim Ki-ri with him, and his condition was so bad," she recalled. "His eyes kept shifting, and even when we talked to him, he could not sit still."

She added, drawing laughter, that the situation seemed serious enough for her to call Kwon aside and tell him, "I think that kid is doing drugs."

Kim said he still was not entirely sure why he had been so restless then, but he remembered struggling with the atmosphere. "The serious mood itself was difficult for me, and even when I listened to Bible passages, I could not really understand them," he said.

Above all, Kim said the biggest reason was the extreme exhaustion he experienced as a rookie. "Back then, I was a newcomer, so I barely slept," he confessed. "I can say this now, but at the time, the discipline at broadcasting stations was so strong that I lived almost like a trainee soldier."

Kim described how physically and mentally drained he had been in that demanding broadcast environment. He said that, as time passed, he regained his faith and sense of direction in life, eventually changing into someone completely different from the person he had been then.

Looking at Kim as he is now, Lee also smiled warmly and said, "The change now is truly like a miracle." She added, "Compared with the past, he has become a completely different person."