Park Myung-soo [YouTube channel 'Halmeongsu']
Park Myung-soo [YouTube channel 'Halmeongsu']

Comedian Park Myung-soo quietly gave financial support to the production crew of JTBC's web variety show "Halmeongsu" during a two-month filming halt, it has emerged.

A new video titled "Guess who's back from prison??? Thought we were done for? Halmeongsu is back in business" was posted Friday to the show's YouTube channel.

"Halmeongsu" had suspended filming in July after JTBC filed for court receivership in June amid a financial crisis. The show resumed production roughly two months later.

Reuniting with the crew on camera, Park said he was deeply disappointed when filming had to stop. "I'm so happy that things are back to normal and we can broadcast again," he said. "I'm sorry we couldn't see our subscribers for two months."

When told that many viewers had worried about the crew's livelihoods during the hiatus, Park brushed it off with a joke. "Don't worry about broadcasters and entertainers," he said.

It was the crew who revealed that Park had been worrying about them all along — and had given them money. Visibly embarrassed to have his good deed exposed, Park opened up about it. "When everything stops, you still have credit card bills to pay and rent to cover," he said. "I sat at home thinking it over, and I felt it would be shameful of me, as an adult in this society, to just sit still. So I gave a little to each of them."

Park then joked that he never received a single text in response, but a crew member rebuffed him, saying they had all been so moved that they cried and sent him messages. One crew member, apparently overcome by the memory, teared up on set.

Park offered the crew some words of encouragement. "The crew are all young — in their 20s and 30s — so I was not especially worried," he said. "At that age, you need to experience failure too. That becomes your asset."


paq@heraldcorp.com