Eom Young-su's Tearful Reunion with a Friend Contacted After 52 Years (TV Carries Love)

"If I were doomed, I was scared and kept it buried"

Comedian Eom Young-su, who appeared on KBS 2TV entertainment program 'TV Carries Love,' shared a past story about running away from home and heading to Seoul when he entered high school. / Photo by KBS 2TV

[Asia Economy Online Issue Team] Comedian Eom Young-su shed tears of emotion after reuniting with a friend after 52 years.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, KBS 2TV variety show 'TV Loads Love' aired an episode featuring Eom Young-su searching for a friend who helped him during high school.

That day, Eom Young-su described the friend he was looking for as "the only person who doesn't show up on my radar network where everyone is connected through one degree of separation," and explained, "When I ran away from home in my first year of high school and came to Seoul, there was a friend named Jeong Myeong-su who warmly and kindly welcomed and took care of me."

He continued, "I ran away from home as soon as I entered high school, thinking I should go to Seoul to pursue my dreams," and explained the background of his connection with the friend, saying, "When I came to Seoul, everything was unfamiliar and I didn't know how to get by. With nowhere to go, I sought out that friend."

He added, "That friend had also come to Seoul to realize his dreams but was struggling, living alone and working," recalling, "He fed me, let me stay for about ten days, and even gave me pocket money. He didn't tell me to leave but worried about me, saying, 'What should we do? We have to get through this here. But you should be studying, right?'"

Eom Young-su said he wanted to reunite with that friend later but was unable to contact him. He confessed, "I found him, but I was afraid he might have passed away, so I kept it to myself."

However, he explained the reason for searching for his friend belatedly, saying, "I'm now 70 years old, and if dementia comes, I might not even remember that I had such a friend," and "Isn't it my human duty to try to find that friend once?"

Finding Eom Young-su's friend was not easy. The friend had changed his name following his father's surname. However, after many twists and turns, Eom Young-su succeeded in reuniting with his friend. Meeting the long-missed friend after 52 years, Eom Young-su was moved to tears.