Kim Ji-min recalls finding used item in motel gown pocket

Comedian Kim Ji-min says she still cannot bring herself to touch accommodation gowns after discovering an item someone had used and left behind in a motel gown pocket about 20 years ago.

Speaking in a pre-meeting video released on the 15th for the YouTube show Accommodation Inspectors, Kim Ji-min recalled staying at the motel while traveling for regional performances. She had put on a gown and slipped her hand into its pocket when she found the used item. The unexpected discovery in a place where she should have been able to relax became a deeply unpleasant, lasting memory.

The motel owner's response made the experience even more bewildering. Kim Ji-min said she brought the gown to the owner, who calmly gave her another room without offering an explanation or appearing surprised. The possibility that the problem could have gone unnoticed had a guest not discovered it appears to have added to the distress.

Calling the incident her worst memory of a stay, Kim Ji-min said, “I haven’t touched a gown since.” The shock hardened into a habit lasting nearly 20 years, and she said it also prompted her to check hygiene carefully whenever she stays somewhere while traveling.

On Accommodation Inspectors, Kim Ji-min joins actors Hwang Bo-ra and Jung Yi-rang to visit different accommodations, inspect their condition and assess them. The web variety show's premise is to examine places to stay that can shape the excitement of a trip. Kim Ji-min's personal experience adds to that focus, with the combination expected to sustain attention to accommodation hygiene.

Accommodations offer travelers a place to rest and recover, but inadequate basic hygiene can leave lasting discomfort and distrust. Bedding and gowns used by multiple guests depend particularly on confidence in their cleanliness, underscoring the need for careful management by accommodation operators.

Read the original (Korean)