Seo Jang-hoon reveals kind landlord side: "I never evict tenants first"

Broadcaster Seo Jang-hoon has revealed a warm side of himself that contrasts with his public image as a wealthy landlord. His remarks, which show a deep understanding of the hardships faced by tenants, are expected to resonate with viewers.

In the episode of EBS's "Seo Jang-hoon's Millionaire Next Door" to be broadcast on the 5th, the life story of Lee Gyeong-ae—a medicinal cuisine researcher with 50 years of experience and a three-time recipient of the Presidential Award—will be revealed.

Lee, known as a master of Korean cuisine representing the Republic of Korea and a culinary mentor to numerous famous food service professionals, will open up about the desperate struggles hidden behind her success during this broadcast.

In her childhood, Lee's life was a constant struggle against poverty. Having experienced extreme hardship due to her father's gambling debts, she recalled times so severe that she "used to dig up ginger in ginger fields to eat, and even sold my hair to get food."

However, even amidst despair, her efforts for survival never ceased. She eventually practiced warm sharing with those around her to the extent that she was called the "lady who gives out free meals," eventually rising to the position of a representative master of medicinal cuisine in the Republic of Korea.

Lee's culinary career began in a small Chinese restaurant. The shop, opened with money borrowed with great difficulty due to a lack of capital, gained explosive popularity immediately upon opening. Thanks to her innate culinary sense, customers flocked in, allowing her to gradually pay off her debts and build a foundation for success.

However, unexpected trials arrived. As business flourished, a competitor purchased the site including the building, forcing Lee to vacate the shop just six months after opening.

Afterward, her husband left for Saudi Arabia to make a living, and the couple lived apart for four years. They opened a coffee shop again with the money her husband earned abroad, but even this time, the success was short-lived. Three years later, they received an eviction notice from the landlord once again.

Listening to the story, Seo Jang-hoon expressed deep empathy for the repeated sorrows of the tenant.

Expressing his regret, he said, "I don't know why landlords act that way," and drew attention by revealing, "For your information, I have never once evicted a tenant first."

Although Seo is known as a 'star landlord' possessing real estate worth billions of won, his statement reflects a value system that prioritizes relationships with tenants over simple asset management.

Meanwhile, Lee did not give up despite repeated setbacks. The experience of being kicked out empty-handed became the driving force for new challenges. The medicinal boiled water she drank to soothe her hunger as a child later became the starting point of her medicinal cuisine philosophy.

The small restaurant she started with her husband grew through word of mouth and eventually developed into a large-scale establishment. However, the anxiety that they might be pushed out by a landlord again did not easily disappear.

Ultimately, the couple decided to purchase land themselves to create their own space. At the time, when the area was nothing but empty fields, people called the plan to build a restaurant there "reckless," but the result was different.

Within one year of opening, the restaurant grew into a famous destination that recorded maximum daily sales of 20,000,000 won, achieving such success that local traffic was paralyzed by the influx of customers.

Recalling those days, Lee said, "I didn't even have time to go to the bank, so I put money in a rice sack and slept with it under my head."

Lee's journey from a tenant evicted multiple times to a representative master of medicinal cuisine shows that failure can be a new beginning rather than an end. Furthermore, Seo's confession that he "does not evict tenants first" leaves a message that people and trust are more important than buildings and money.