MBC Announcer Kim Jun-sang on Leaving SK Hynix: “Bonuses Alone Were 120 Million Won”

MBC announcer Kim Jun-sang spoke candidly about how he feels after leaving SK Hynix and shared a regretful stock investment story tied to his former company.

On the July 4 broadcast of the MBC variety program “Omniscient Interfering View,” the daily life of announcer Park So-young was featured, along with a range of behind-the-scenes stories from MBC’s announcer division.

During the episode, announcer Jeon Jong-hwan joked to Kim Jun-sang, “When you look at SK Hynix’s stock price these days, don’t you think leaving the company may have been the wrong choice?” Announcer Kim Su-ji added to the teasing, saying that inside the company Kim is best known as “the person who quit SK Hynix and came to MBC,” drawing laughter from the cast.

Kim Jun-sang then introduced his past career, explaining that before joining MBC he had worked on the public relations team at SK Hynix. Looking back, he said, “In the PR office, I had the nickname of being so perfect that I seemed like AI,” and recalled thinking that he would be able to do even better if he came to MBC.

When Jeon Jong-hwan asked whose level he had aimed for, Kim replied, “I dreamed of becoming someone like senior Jeon Hyun-moo.” Asked whether he had come to MBC dreaming of becoming the undisputed top figure, he took the question in good humor and answered, “I was young then. Doesn’t everyone have dreams like that?”

Asked whether he regretted resigning from SK Hynix, Kim revealed a more realistic side of his thoughts. “Until last year, I said I had no intention of going back unless they paid me more than three times my salary,” he said. “But now it has gone far beyond that three-times level.”

He went on to surprise the panel by saying, “A friend who joined around the same time as me received about 120 million won in performance bonuses alone, and I heard that early next year the friend is expected to receive about three times that amount again.”

Kim also opened up about his stock investment experience. “I bought about 10 million won worth of shares at around 80,000 won per share and sold them at 100,000 won,” he explained. “If I had kept holding them, their current value would be about 336 million won.”

Even so, Kim said his rule is that “once you sell a stock, you should not look back.” He then added, “But this time, I do find myself wishing I could turn back time,” making the studio laugh once again.