(Interview) Seo Kyung-seok “If I hadn’t become a comedian, I would have become a daily lecturer” :: Sympathy Media Newsis ::

(Seoul = Newsis) Reporter Jeon Jae-kyung = “This comes up a lot in the exam. 4th Army, 6th Division. 4th Army was pioneered by General Choi Yun-deok, and 6th Division was pioneered by General Kim Jong-seo…”

The person who said this was neither Choi Tae-seong, a ‘Korean history lecturer’ nor Jeon Han-gil. It was none other than ‘Arrow’ comedian Seo Kyung-seok (52). After watching Seo Kyung-seok lecture on Korean history on YouTube, I became vaguely curious about this person. Why is he, one of the few Seoul National University graduates in the entertainment industry and a certified real estate agent, giving lectures on Korean history these days? I interviewed Seo Kyung-seok over the phone on the afternoon of the 15th.

The following is a Q&A with Seo Kyung-seok.

-These days, you are giving a lecture on the Korean History Proficiency Test on YouTube, ‘So Kyung-Seok’.

“I’m uploading Korean history lecture videos from the perspective of taking the Korean history exam, so that I can share with other test takers if they have any difficulties.”

-I’m curious as to why you are preparing for the Korean history test.

“Studying Korean history is so much fun. It’s even more fun as there are stories and the content gets deeper. It’s amazing how things I didn’t understand when I was young are now understood differently. And my ultimate goal is to become a Korean history storyteller. As a first step toward that, I decided to take the Korean history exam.”

-Why do you want to become a Korean history storyteller?

“I started dreaming of becoming a Korean history storyteller seven years ago when I appeared on a KBS program called ‘Heavenly Collection.’ It was a program where cultural assets were reinterpreted and presented from the perspectives of the participants. The program was in the format of three participants giving presentations, and the cultural asset with the most votes that day was registered as a part of the Heavenly Collection. I did that for about a year and a half and it was so much fun. That’s when I decided that I wanted to become a Korean history storyteller.”

-Isn’t it difficult to teach Korean history?

“I’m not yet fully qualified to give lectures, but I have to put in the effort to share my knowledge with others. That’s why I spend that time completely making it my own. Of course, I’m posting it to share, but it’s actually for me. It’s one of the tasks of making the content of my studies of Korean history more accurate.”

-You might be disappointed that the number of views for Korean history lecture videos is low.

“I think it’s natural that there aren’t many views. It’s not really something that people are interested in unless they’re taking the Korean history exam. However, my ultimate goal is to talk about Korean history on YouTube in a way that is fun and relatable to people who aren’t necessarily taking the exam. Right now, I’m enduring it with the hope that many people will love my content. (Laughs)”

What were the results of the Korean Language Proficiency Test you took recently?

“I took the test last time to get a Level 1 qualification and thought I passed Level 1. However, I made a marking mistake and ended up getting Level 2 with 79 points. I will continue to take the test for the time being, and if I pass Level 1 in the 72nd Korean History Test in October, then I will try to get 100 points.”

-Your passion and persistence for Korean history are amazing.

“I think the process of studying Korean history is meaningful to me. The Korean history I studied in school to pass a test is definitely different from the Korean history I am studying now after having various experiences and having more free time. It is really fun.”

-You passed the real estate agent exam three years ago, right?

“Yes. But honestly, it wasn’t fun at the time. I started it thinking it would be fun, but the amount of study was so vast, and five out of six subjects were law, so unless you majored in law or are someone who frequently encounters law in daily life, it’s really hard.”

-I’m curious about Mr. Seo Kyung-seok’s motto.

“I still think positively of the story in my English textbook when I was in middle school. ‘Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.’ Whether it’s studying or being a celebrity, if I didn’t have patience, I would have quit a long time ago.”

-What are the difficulties of balancing your studies and a career in the entertainment industry?

“I like studying Korean history and being a celebrity, but there are difficult aspects to it. In particular, things can come up while studying, I might get invited to an event, or I might get a call from a new program, so it’s hard when my plans get disrupted.”

-What does studying mean to Seo Kyung-seok?

“Studying is something I’ve always wanted to conquer. Even when I was young, I did it because I had to. It wasn’t because I liked studying so much. I just didn’t do it for no reason. I thought about how I could study more efficiently and how I could retain things in my head for a longer period of time with the same amount of time invested.”

-You have an elementary school-aged daughter. Do you personally tutor her?

“My daughter doesn’t really like me teaching her things and doing things like that, so I just watch from afar and let her do whatever she wants comfortably. (Laughs)”

-Looking at the family photos posted on social media, they look harmonious.

“Actually, in May of last year, I quit the radio show ‘Women’s Era’ that I had hosted for 8 years because I wanted to live a little more freely. Since I was doing a broadcast and a radio show, I couldn’t travel and there were a lot of restrictions, so even though it was a good program, I asked for understanding and quit. So I took a break for about a year, and I often visited my mother who lives alone in Daejeon. Also, my wife was an artist, but she took a break from her career and recently became a university lecturer. She’s also in the beauty business, so I help her in many ways. I’m a supporter.”

How specifically is ‘outside assistance’?

“My wife’s company held a pop-up store at a department store. At that time, I asked my acquaintances to ‘give me strength’ to help my wife. I have about 4,000 people registered in my phone book. I sent it to 2,000 of them, and 500 of them came. My wife’s company’s products set the record for the highest sales in the history of the pop-up store at that department store. (Laughs)”

-Are you still on good terms with your close friend, comedian Lee Yoon-seok?

“I talked to Yoon Seok yesterday too. Yoon Seok quit the radio show ‘Single Bungle Show’ a while ago. I met him then and consoled him by buying him drinks until dawn. The day before yesterday, Yoon Seok asked me to send him some pictures of the two of us so I could use them as reference materials for my special lecture, so I sent them all together. We’re doing well. But close friends don’t have to contact each other that often to maintain a relationship.”

-What are your hobbies, Seo Kyung-seok?

“My favorite hobby is soccer. I’m currently a member of three teams. One is a celebrity soccer team called ‘With FC’, another is ‘FC Youngjin’ led by model Lee Young-jin, and there’s a manager soccer team. I’m the only celebrity in these soccer teams made up of entertainment industry managers. Since I’m a member of these three teams and go out whenever I have time, I end up playing soccer at least once a week.”

-What’s your position?

“At that age and level of experience, I should be a striker. (Laughs) But these days, I’m feeling burdened by the striker position, so I’ve been moving back a bit to the attacking midfielder position.”

-In addition to your YouTube activities, you also appear on various broadcasts.

“I’m currently appearing on MBC’s ‘Happy Dream Lotto 645’, EBS’s ‘Travel Color’, DLive TV’s ‘Seoul Like’, and HCN’s ‘Happy Other People’s House’. In some ways, you could say that I’m doing some minor programs, but I’m still doing meaningful work that I’m proud of, and I’m grateful.”

-It’s been over 30 years since you debuted in the entertainment industry. What was your best moment?

“For me, it’s now. It’s been a long time, but whether I’m doing well or not, I like the present where I’m in the entertainment industry and constantly working to build my own realm.”

-Have you ever had a worst moment while working in the entertainment industry?

“If I had a worst moment as a celebrity, I probably would have quit. There have been ups and downs, and things aren’t so great now, but I’m glad I can work, study, and do this while feeling healthy and happy. I don’t think there’s ever been a time when I was at my worst.”

-If you hadn’t become a comedian, what do you think you would have been like now?

“I really liked French in high school. That’s why I majored in French language and literature. I think I could have become a French literature scholar. Or, I could have become a businessman because I wanted to relieve some of the resentment my father had about his failed business when I was young. If not, I would have become a day lecturer. (Laughs)”

-Do you have a dream you want to achieve as a celebrity?

“I just want to do one or two programs where many people would say, ‘Seo Kyung-seok is doing something really fun.’ Also, I had a really hard time financially when I was a student. So I want to help friends who are passionate and bright but can’t properly pursue their dreams.”

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