'RAS' Announcer Lim Hyun-joo "Wearing Glasses on News... Received Contacts from Foreign Media Worldwide"

Im Hyun-joo / Photo by MBC, captured from the broadcast screen of 'Radio Star'

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Park Hee-eun] Announcer Lim Hyun-joo revealed an anecdote about how she attracted attention from foreign media by wearing glasses while delivering the morning news.

On the 29th, MBC's 'Radio Star' aired a special episode titled 'Women’s Reign,' featuring guests Park Hae-mi, Hong Yun-hwa, Lim Hyun-joo, and Yulhee.

During the broadcast, Lim Hyun-joo said, "Two years ago, I wore glasses during the morning news, and since it was an unfamiliar sight, articles about it appeared all day long on various news outlets," adding, "I received contacts from foreign media around the world."

She continued, "After that news, I was interviewed by the BBC and The New York Times, and I received many interview requests from countries like Saudi Arabia, the UK, France, and Germany." She explained, "I wondered why it became such a hot topic, but in countries where wearing glasses is common, they asked why it was an issue in Korea to wear glasses while delivering the news."

When Kim Gura asked if it was an internally agreed matter, Lim replied, "It would be strange to have an agreement." She added, "Male anchors wear glasses, but female anchors found it unfamiliar, so they simply hadn’t tried it."

Meanwhile, on the same day, announcer Lim also mentioned the no-bra challenge. She said, "There was a challenge called the no-bra challenge on a program called 'Series M,' where women did the no-bra challenge and men wore bras," expressing frustration, "But people thought I was doing it alone, not on the show."

She continued, "We filmed all day, but only 4 to 5 minutes were edited and aired, so I posted my thoughts on my personal SNS because I felt a lot that day. It got 300,000 clicks and was widely reported," sharing the reactions to the no-bra challenge. "The positive responses were that many people sympathized. Some said, 'She’s just seeking attention. Why write about it when no one else is complaining?'"