Pyo In-bong: From SM Entertainment executive to Seoul Station minister

Comedian Pyo In-bong, who once reached unprecedented heights as the CEO of a major entertainment agency's subsidiary, has opened up about how a sudden sense of emptiness led him to the path of ministry. He is now living a completely different life, sharing bungeoppang (carp-shaped pastry) and food with the homeless at Seoul Station.

In the 752nd episode of MBN's 'Scoop World' aired on the 13th, the current life of Pyo, who left the broadcasting industry to choose the life of a pastor, was revealed.

On this day, Pyo was baking bungeoppang at Seoul Station plaza amidst the midsummer heat. He didn't just prepare pastries; he also prepared 200 whole chickens, bananas, cider, and red bean shaved ice to distribute for free to the homeless.

Even as he dripped with sweat, he personally took care of those exhausted by the heat by handing out paper hats.

His wife, Yu Jeong-hwa, also joined the service. It was his wife who first suggested the volunteer work at Seoul Station three years ago. When asked if it was difficult, Yu smiled calmly, saying, "It's not hard. It's just a little hot."

At one time, the title 'comedian' wasn't the only descriptor attached to Pyo's name. He enjoyed his heyday with groups like TinTin Five and achieved significant success as a performance planner.

He operated four theaters in Daehak-ro and served as the head of musical business for SM Entertainment, while also acting as the CEO of its subsidiary.

Recalling those times, Pyo said, "There were even articles saying I earned 50 million won a day when I was making a lot of money," adding, "Life was picking up speed and things were going crazy."

However, paradoxically, as his success grew, the emptiness in his heart grew as well.

He confessed, "Even when I was running four theaters and serving as the president of Korea's top entertainment subsidiary, I felt no satisfaction with the path I was taking. Rather, the more I had in abundance, the less it felt filled."

Despite accumulating enough money, fame, and business success, life satisfaction did not follow. Pyo described his state at the time as "a futility of being unable to be satisfied with life."

- What he found at the end of success was not more success

Pyo grew up in a Christian family spanning three generations. However, his return to faith after being immersed in broadcasting and business for a long time chasing success was not merely due to religious obligation.

He began to rely on faith to endure the unfillable void within him, and a decisive moment arrived.

At the suggestion of broadcaster Kim Won-hee, he visited Haiti, which had been devastated by an earthquake, to participate in volunteer work.

That experience changed the very direction of Pyo's life.

He let go of the desires that had driven him—"I want to succeed, I want to possess, I want to enjoy"—and eventually chose the path of a minister.

After being ordained as a minister in 2018, he has been living as a pastor for eight years.

The service he is currently performing at Seoul Station is at the exact opposite end of his past success. While in the past he headed toward larger audiences, bigger stages, and higher positions, he now approaches those at the lowest places first.

It is as if his life's direction has shifted from 'how much can I possess' to 'what can I share.'

- Telling his daughter Pyo Ba-ha, "Carve out your own life"

Pyo's new life was also influencing his family.

After preparing snacks to deliver to the homeless with his wife Yu, he visited a musical rehearsal studio. There was his daughter, Pyo Ba-ha, who has recently been active as a musical actress.

Ba-ha revealed that she chose independence to escape the fame of being 'Pyo In-bong's daughter.'

Watching Pyo turn away after handing over the snacks his father had prepared, Ba-ha eventually shed tears, and the two shared a farewell hug.

Pyo also thought of his past while looking at his daughter.

He said, "Ba-ha is in her mid-20s. Today, I saw the sight of her starting a path similar to the one I walked. Ba-ha is carving out her own life in her own way, and I am carving out mine in mine, and we must both go forward wonderfully."

Ultimately, the life Pyo chose is closer to redefining the standards of success rather than giving up success.

While he once raced toward the highest positions in the entertainment industry, he now bakes bungeoppang in the middle of Seoul Station. If his past life was a question of 'what will I obtain,' his current life is a process of finding the answer to 'what can I share.'

And perhaps the words he gave his daughter, "Carve out your own life," apply directly to his own life as well. Stepping away from the path others call success to follow the direction he believes is true happiness—that was the greatest reason Pyo chose ordination in 2018.