MBC to launch health program featuring 'Country Diaries' after Choi Bool-am's death

Following the passing of actor Choi Bool-am, MBC will air 'Life Needs a Script Too', a new health educational program using scenes from the long-running drama 'Country Diaries' to highlight issues like diabetes. The show, hosted by Song Il-kook and Park Ji-min, will examine health indicators such as grip strength and dietary management.

With the passing of actor Choi Bool-am, memories of the national drama 'Country Diaries' have been resurfaced, prompting MBC to present a special program that revisits the health issues of the actors and viewers through this work. As the broadcast deals with the lives and health of actors who guarded the living room screen for many years, the timing of the program following Choi Bool-am's death leaves a profound lingering impression.

MBC's 'Life Needs a Script Too' is a new format of health educational program that delivers health information using MBC's masterpiece dramas, which are deeply embedded in the memories of viewers. Hosted by actor Song Il-kook and announcer Park Ji-min, the show follows scenes and characters from dramas to highlight health issues that are easily overlooked in daily life.

The central work of this broadcast is 'Country Diaries', which met viewers for 22 years and 2 months from its first broadcast in 1980 until 2002. Spanning a total of 1,088 episodes, the drama depicted the small daily lives, family love, conflicts, and reconciliations of the residents of Yangchon-ri, receiving love across generations by capturing the rural Korean landscape and the lives of ordinary people. The image of the actors and the work was so deeply imprinted in the public memory that some viewers even mistook Choi Bool-am and Kim Hye-ja, who played the Chairman Kim couple, for a real-life married couple.

For MC Song Il-kook, 'Country Diaries' is a work filled with special memories. The broadcast reveals Song Il-kook's youthful past when he appeared in Yangchon-ri during his rookie days. As the cast members could not hide their surprise at his youthful appearance, Song Il-kook shared another connection, revealing, "Actually, my mother appeared before me." Interest in the studio was drawn as it was revealed that his mother, Kim Eul-dong, also had a connection to 'Country Diaries' while working as an actress.

An indispensable figure when discussing 'Country Diaries' is the late Kim Su-mi, who served as a reliable pillar of Yangchon-ri for 22 years playing Il-yong's Mother. Loved by viewers for her characteristic rustic tone and realistic acting, she passed away in October 2024 due to hyperglycemic shock. With the passing of Choi Bool-am, who held the center of the work as Chairman Kim, the faces of the actors who represented 'Country Diaries' have now become even more special memories.

This broadcast also examines the dangers of diabetes and the importance of early detection through episodes from the drama. In the drama, Lee Eun-sim, played by Kim Hye-ja, is diagnosed with diabetes at a hospital after dismissing lethargy and dizziness as merely due to old age. This scene demonstrates that a disease can progress even without particularly severe symptoms. According to the 'Diabetes Fact Sheet 2024' by the Korean Diabetes Association, one in four diabetes patients aged 30 or older is unaware that they have the disease.

Family medicine specialist Kim Si-wan draws attention to the connection between diabetes and physical strength. In particular, grip strength, which measures hand pressure, is introduced as one of the indicators to examine health status, and the cast members participate in direct measurements. Song Il-kook, who has completed not only full marathons but also triathlons, drew attention by participating in the measurement. Interest is focused on whether he, who has exercised steadily, can show a grip strength that exceeds the average for his age group.

Methods for managing blood sugar through dietary habits are also covered. Blood sugar management does not stop at simply reducing snacks or avoiding sweet foods. This is because the postprandial blood sugar response can vary depending on the composition of daily meals and the method of carbohydrate intake. The broadcast will introduce lupin beans, known as 'diabetes beans', and examine the changes in postprandial blood sugar when consuming lupin beans instead of white rice through experimental results. Simple lupin bean recipes that can be used at home will also be revealed.

'Country Diaries', which shared the joys and sorrows of the nation for a long time, now remains a cultural heritage that records the lifestyle and meaning of family beyond a simple drama. As news of the passing of the actors who led the work continues, the weight of time is being felt anew by viewers along with the memories of those days. Attention is focused on whether the health stories MBC will unfold through 'Country Diaries' can revive past famous scenes while simultaneously raising awareness for health management among the middle-aged and elderly.

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