"K-Coffee and K-Bread Tried and Failed"
Operating Three Large Cafes... 60 Million Won Monthly Interest
"Heavy but Must Overcome" Tears
The comedian, known as the 'Ttukttak-i Dad,' whose whereabouts had been unknown, has recently been revealed.
On the 12th, MBN's 'Exclusive World' aired an update on comedian Kim Jong-seok, famous as the 'Ttukttak-i Dad' from EBS's 'Dingdongdaeng Kindergarten.' During his prime, he hosted over 500 events annually as an MC, but now he is burdened with a debt of 10 billion KRW. He confessed, "I find solace in thinking that this level of debt can't even be called debt."
Regarding the reason for his debt, Kim Jong-seok said, "I was possessed by a ghost. I thought, 'Let's try K-Coffee and K-Bread like K-Pop and K-Movie.' I wanted to plant Korean coffee in the U.S. and introduce Korean bread there." He added, "The debt started at 2.2 billion KRW from that challenge but gradually grew. It was very hard and painful. I felt sorry for my family." The monthly interest on his 10 billion KRW debt is about 60 million KRW. Currently, he operates three large cafes in Gyeonggi Province, but the profits do not cover the interest, making it difficult.
Kim Jong-seok married a junior 13 years his junior and has two sons and one daughter. Upon arriving at an apartment in Gyeonggi Province, he revealed, "We sold our house in Gangnam and became a separated family, living apart. This place is a rented house, so if they tell me to leave, I have to go, and I haven't even unpacked my belongings for three years." Later, he contacted his wife and said, "If I hadn't tried so hard in the U.S., our son wouldn't have hit a wall and could have worked hard at anything." He added, "I'm really sorry it turned out this way." His wife encouraged him, saying, "The kids love their dad. They all know how hard you've worked. While others are at an age to rest, you keep working, and even if you fail, you get back up. I'm grateful for that." Ultimately, Kim Jong-seok tearfully said, "It's heavy, but I have to overcome it. At least now, there is a glimmer of hope that if I work hard, I can rise again. I won't give up and will keep trying."
Meanwhile, born in 1959, Kim Jong-seok graduated from Dongguk University with a degree in Theater and Film and debuted as a comedian in MBC's 3rd public recruitment class. He recalled, "I was disappointed that I couldn't fully demonstrate my abilities in comedy programs, but using the know-how I gained there, I was able to perform at 150% capacity in children's programs. During the peak of Disney characters' popularity, after much deliberation with the production team, we created 'Ttukttak-i.'"
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