Actor Nam Bo-ra. [From tvN variety program 'You Quiz on the Block']
Actor Nam Bo-ra. [From tvN variety program 'You Quiz on the Block']

Nam Bo-ra, 36, the actor known as the eldest daughter of a family of 13 siblings, has taken on a new role: banchan shop owner.

Nam appeared on Thursday's episode of KBS 2TV's variety program Sinssang Chulsi Pyeonstorang, a food and lifestyle show, at 38 weeks pregnant, showing viewers how she manages a branch of her mother's banchan shop.

Nam gave birth to a son in June, meaning the episode was filmed before her delivery.

Despite her advanced pregnancy, she said working at the shop energized her. "When I come here, I feel a burst of energy and my body feels lighter," she said, as she was shown cleaning display shelves and portioning and packaging banchan.

The cast expressed surprise, asking whether she was working a part-time job. Nam explained that the shop belongs to her mother. "This is my mom's banchan shop. She has opened two more locations, and I ended up taking charge of the third one," she said.

She described herself as "a rookie owner who has been at it for just over three months," adding with a laugh: "I'm a natural at running a business. I guess I spent 18 years in broadcasting just to get here."

After her shift, Nam joined a baby shower her siblings had organized. She also revealed that her son, whose in-utero nickname had been "Kongali," had been named Lee Daniel.

Nam is the second child and eldest daughter among the 13 siblings. She married a non-celebrity of the same age in May last year. Her mother, Lee Yeong-mi, runs a banchan shop inside a hypermarket in Dangsan-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.


jshan@heraldcorp.com