[Namsan Stroll] Still, Late-Night Radio Lives On

It has been 25 years since I became a radio producer and started creating broadcasts. Looking back, there are both fond memories and times I would rather not revisit. There were programs I made without much soul, and others into which I poured my passion. Before becoming a producer, as a listener, I mainly enjoyed pop music programs. As a child, instead of Lee Moonse's "Starry Night," I listened to Lee Sooman's "Pops Tonight," and I was also a devoted fan of shows hosted by Hwang Inyong and Kim Gwanghan. But the program I was most deeply immersed in was a late-night broadcast. The host was Jeon Younghyuk.

After briefly working at a film company and a publishing house, Jeon Younghyuk entered the broadcasting world as a radio writer. He debuted as a pop music program host, armed with a depth and breadth of knowledge that was unmatched in Korea at the time. Because he insisted on selecting songs solely based on musicality, regardless of mainstream popularity, his programs were far from ratings hits. As a result, while the program titles changed over time-starting with his first broadcast on April 29, 1986, and including shows like "Date at 1 a.m." and "World of Music"-the time slot was always late at night. Still, young people who truly appreciated music would sacrifice precious sleep to listen to Jeon Younghyuk's broadcasts. Until he left broadcasting in 2007, he was undoubtedly one of the icons of late-night radio.

If Jeon Younghyuk had a small group of devoted fans, at the opposite end was Jung Jiyeong. As the most popular late-night host, her program "Sweet Music Box" was dedicated to thoroughly mainstream song selections. There was also announcer Jung Eunim, who hosted a program specializing in film music. Her broadcasting career was short, and after she passed away at a young age in an unexpected accident, she became a star in the night sky, leaving her fans with even greater sorrow. Perhaps for this reason, there is now an application that allows people to listen to her old broadcasts from over 30 years ago. Another figure who became a star in the sky, the "Demon King" Shin Haecheol, is also indispensable when discussing the history of late-night radio.

Now, there are endless forms of entertainment available day and night. With just a swipe of a finger on YouTube, TikTok, or Netflix, one can easily push away loneliness and boredom. The entire terrestrial broadcasting industry is said to be in crisis, and within that, the late-night radio slot-never a large market to begin with-has been pushed to the brink of extinction. At most radio stations, there are no longer live hosts after midnight; instead, music is played automatically or reruns are scheduled.

I do not know if this is an inevitable course, but at SBS Radio, where I still work, we continue to produce live late-night broadcasts. A few producers, including myself, take turns hosting the show on different days of the week. In the spirit of returning to our roots, when we would listen to the radio late into the night as students, we named the program "Late Night Radio Club."

We know well that we cannot recreate the golden age of late-night radio. We are not reckless enough to compete with YouTube and Netflix. Perhaps the day will come when even these efforts are no longer allowed, but since that day is not today, we simply want to protect our small castle. Just like the soliloquy from Shakespeare's play "Richard II."

"No one can take my sorrow from me. Even if they take my crown and my kingdom. I may no longer be king of this land, but I am still the king of sorrow."

No one can take broadcasting away from us. Even if the commercials and production budgets disappear. Even if radio is no longer the mainstream, we continue to create broadcasts-by day, by night, and in the deep blue dawn. Late-night radio is still alive.

Lee Jaeik, SBS Radio Producer and Novelist