A highly-anticipated evaluation on the popular KBS reality program “Boss’s Ear is a Donkey’s Ear” took a dramatic turn this week, as trainee announcer Park Hyo-jin faced intense scrutiny during a simulated live news broadcast. The february 1st episode featured a especially challenging scenario designed to test the newcomers’ composure under pressure, quickly escalating into a visibly emotional moment for Park Hyo-jin, who has gained attention for her resemblance to K-pop idol Minji of NewJeans. The incident, which involved critical feedback from senior announcers and a production director, is already sparking conversation among viewers of the long-running series, now in its 190th consecutive week as a ratings leader in its timeslot.
“It was Um Ji-in who made her cry”
A new KBS2 “Boss’s Ear is a Donkey’s Ear” trainee announcer, Park Hyo-jin, dubbed “NewJeans Minji of Seoul National University,” brought viewers to tears during her first evaluation, captivating audiences. The popular reality show, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at workplace dynamics, recently achieved a peak viewership rating of 6.7% and a nationwide rating of 4.9%, marking its 190th consecutive week as the top-rated entertainment program in its timeslot (based on Nielsen Korea data).
The February 1st episode of “Boss’s Ear is a Donkey’s Ear” will feature a tense “News Live Evaluation” with KBS’s 51st class of trainee announcers – Lee Sang-cheol, Shim Soo-hyun, and Park Hyo-jin. This evaluation tests the newcomers’ ability to handle various emergency situations that can arise during a live news broadcast, a significant hurdle for aspiring broadcasters.
During the evaluation, Park Hyo-jin, known as “Seoul National University’s NewJeans Minji,” unexpectedly burst into tears, sparking curiosity about the cause. Expectations were high for Park Hyo-jin, as she had previously expressed her dream of becoming an anchor. As her performance was closely watched, she delivered the news with clear pronunciation and proper posture, earning praise from Jun Hyun-moo, who commented, “Her voice is good,” and delighting everyone present. However, the moment was disrupted by Um Ji-in, who took on the role of a production director, announcing a breaking news segment and instructing Park Hyo-jin to “read through it and then finish up.” Park Hyo-jin’s response of “Yes” led to a five-second pause as she struggled to complete the closing remarks, drawing sharp looks from the senior announcers. Kim Sook expressed her concern, saying, “It’s because of Um Ji-in,” and “Oh my goodness, what happened?” while Jun Hyun-moo remarked, “She’s just not used to the producer’s call.”
Park Hyo-jin’s “News Live Evaluation” quickly became a high-pressure situation. Even after Park Hyo-jin said, “I will be more careful in the future,” Um Ji-in countered, “Saying you’ll be careful isn’t enough. If this happened during a real broadcast, it would immediately become a meme and she’d be writing an explanation.” Senior announcers delivered a stern critique, stating, “We had high expectations because she said she wanted to be an anchor, but we’re more disappointed than expected,” and Nam Hyun-jong added, “To put it bluntly, she sounds like a parrot.” As the criticism intensified, tears began to stream down Park Hyo-jin’s face. Jun Hyun-moo, observing the situation, said, “Hyun-jong was surprised too,” and then pointedly blamed Um Ji-in, saying, “Um Ji-in made her cry.”
Wiping away her tears with a tissue, Park Hyo-jin attempted to explain, “I have a bit of a cold, and my nose is running,” but the tears continued to flow. Overwhelmed, she eventually ran to the restroom and sobbed audibly, leaving everyone feeling sympathetic.
Kim Sook noted, “All the seniors are announcers, so their reprimands are so precise. The accuracy of their words feels like a stab to the heart,” highlighting the intensity of the evaluation. However, she added, “But you grow by going through situations like these,” offering encouragement to Park Hyo-jin.
The outcome of Park Hyo-jin’s first evaluation, and whether she can overcome this challenging experience, will be revealed in the February 1st broadcast of KBS 2TV’s “Boss’s Ear is a Donkey’s Ear” at 4:40 PM KST.
iMBC Entertainment, Baek Ah-young | Photo source KBS
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