Do Kyung-wan reveals past dropouts from high school and Republic of Korea Air Force Academy, and regrets after leaving KBS: "I cried every night"

Broadcaster Do Kyung-wan candidly revealed his past of dropping out of high school and the Republic of Korea Air Force Academy, as well as the regret and anxiety he experienced after leaving KBS, where he had been for 12 years. Although he left a stable job to start a new life as a freelancer, the reality was harsher than expected. He confessed that as broadcasting opportunities decreased, his self-esteem dropped and he suffered from depression, prompting his wife Jang Yoon-jeong to reveal his inner struggles, saying, "He cried every night." The trial and error hidden behind his glamorous life as a broadcaster and the support of his family were revealed together.

In the KBS2 entertainment program 'Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant' broadcast on the 8th, Do Kyung-wan returned as 'Chef Pyeon' after a long time and revealed his daily life with his wife Jang Yoon-jeong. For him, who had continued various activities after leaving KBS, this appearance held more meaning than a simple return to broadcasting. Do Kyung-wan drew laughter when he said, "After I quit KBS, I didn't watch 'Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant.' It felt like watching an ex-wife living well." He expressed his complex feelings about watching the broadcasting station and program he had left through a witty metaphor.

He also revealed that it took longer than expected for the broadcasting station to contact him again after his resignation. Looking back on his hiatus, he said, "I thought I would be contacted immediately after 3 years passed. But it came after 5 years and 8 months." He did not hide his emotion at appearing on a terrestrial broadcast after a long time. Do Kyung-wan expressed joy, saying, "It's been so long since someone else is filming me, rather than me filming alone on YouTube," and showed pride in being the main character this time, whereas he had appeared as a husband on his wife's broadcasts or as a father capturing his children's daily lives.

At this moment, Jang Yoon-jeong appeared and bluntly exposed her husband's life after his resignation. Jang Yoon-jeong joked, "Is this the first time since you quit? That's why you shouldn't just quit recklessly," and then said, "He cried every night. Saying he wanted to go to KBS." This part allows one to guess the extent of the regret and longing Do Kyung-wan experienced after leaving a stable job. Jang Yoon-jeong brought both laughter and emotion by saying that the broadcasting station's heart is great for accepting someone who left once, and urged him to promise not to cry anymore.

Do Kyung-wan had experienced several instances of dropping out in his life before. On this day, he revealed the fact that he dropped out of high school, saying, "Actually, I attended high school for only one month and left." He stated that he later entered the Republic of Korea Air Force Academy, but also left the school after just one semester. The reason was that he was not sure if he could live his whole life as a soldier. From high school and the Republic of Korea Air Force Academy to KBS, Do Kyung-wan has repeatedly experienced changing directions to find new possibilities rather than following the path he chose to the end.

Of course, the resignation from the broadcasting station was a decision with a different weight than his previous dropouts. Do Kyung-wan left KBS, where he had been for 12 years, and transitioned to a freelance broadcaster. At the time, he thought it was a choice for a better future, but the reality he faced after leaving the organization was not easy. Jang Yoon-jeong confessed that because she had never done anything other than being a singer, it was difficult to fully understand her husband's situation. This is because she had not personally experienced what it means to leave a stable job or how much the uncertainty of income and work can become a burden.

Do Kyung-wan explained the changed structure of work after becoming a freelancer. He said, "Unlike the time when work was assigned even if I didn't want to do it, now I have to seek out work myself. It is the wild now." When belonging to an organization, certain tasks and roles are given, but a freelancer must discover opportunities and prove their own value. In an environment where it is difficult to predict not only the amount of work but also when work will come in, anxiety inevitably becomes a daily occurrence. Do Kyung-wan also confessed that he experienced depression and a drop in self-esteem, and sometimes even thought that his resignation was a regrettable choice.

In particular, the story that there were many days from Friday to Sunday without work clearly showed the reality of a freelancer. The time when broadcasting appearances decreased was not just about the schedule being empty. It was also a time that made him question if his choice was right and made him miss his past stable life. However, Do Kyung-wan did not spend that time meaninglessly. During the times without work, he went camping with his son and took care of the children, taking responsibility for childcare instead of his busy wife.

Jang Yoon-jeong viewed her husband's time from a different perspective. She comforted Do Kyung-wan, saying, "You didn't just play during the time you had no work. You meaningfully took care of the children." She then expressed trust in her husband by saying, "Now do it with a smile. Let's say we do what we are both good at." Above all, she expressed gratitude to Do Kyung-wan, who had taken charge of one pillar of the family by taking care of the children, saying, "The children grew up well." She acknowledged his role within the family, which cannot be evaluated solely by broadcasting achievements or income.

Do Kyung-wan also added, while being careful that his story might seem excessively tragic, "There was never a time when there was absolutely no work." This can be read as meaning that even during periods when work decreased, he continued to play his role by taking care of his family and seeking new activities. He emphasized that the time after transitioning to a freelancer was not filled only with failure and regret.

Do Kyung-wan's confession shows the reality that those who leave stable jobs to choose a new path may face. Resignation sometimes means freedom and possibility, but at the same time, it means letting go of a sense of belonging, predictable income, and the roles provided by an organization. Especially for a freelancer who must directly prove their ability and performance in the market, times without work can lead not only to economic instability but also to a shaking of identity. In a society that only highlights the bold choices of successful people, the regret and adaptation process after that choice are easily hidden.

In that sense, this broadcast makes it difficult to view Do Kyung-wan's resignation simply as a matter of success or failure. He wavered after choosing a new path, missed the past, and sometimes regretted his decision. However, during that time, he took responsibility for childcare and his family's daily life, and Jang Yoon-jeong did not evaluate the work her husband did solely by economic performance. The sight of the couple recognizing each other's roles and complementing each other's shortcomings shows that professional success and contributions within a family do not necessarily need to be evaluated by the same standards.

Do Kyung-wan, who has changed the direction of his life several times, from dropping out of high school and quitting the Republic of Korea Air Force Academy to leaving KBS. He stood before the public again through this return to 'Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant.' His story, in which he honestly confessed his past regrets in a broadcast he returned to after a long hiatus, also offers implications for people facing new choices. The important thing might not be a life that never wavers, but the process of enduring the reality after a choice and finding one's given role again.

Read the original (Korean)