Chef Jung Ji-sun Pursues New Dreams on 'Boss's Ears Are Donkey Ears'

On the May 18 episode of KBS2's '사장님 귀는 당나귀 귀' (Boss's Ears Are Donkey Ears), singer Byun Jin-seop joined the show as a new boss, showcasing his daily life alongside Park Myung-soo. Celebrating his 38th debut anniversary, the 'Ballad Emperor' made a rare appearance on a variety show. A devoted fan, Kim Hyo-jin, also joined to share her admiration, revealing a diary dedicated to Byun Jin-seop, which led to some playful banter when Kim Sook admitted to liking Lee Seung-chul. Byun Jin-seop humorously remarked, "You definitely have a style that would like Seung-chul hyung."

Kim Hyo-jin defended Byun Jin-seop, stating, "He’s not the type to abuse his power; I can’t believe he’s even here." Byun Jin-seop described himself as "easygoing and good-natured." Despite the long-standing loyalty of his band members, he humorously noted their complaints about his "nagging" and unpredictable moods.

During a rehearsal for an upcoming concert in Busan, Byun Jin-seop displayed a more serious side, pointing out a band member and saying, "If something goes wrong, it’s all your fault." He emphasized the importance of 'dimensionality' in their performance, but his bandmates were skeptical, leading him to exclaim, "What did I do wrong?" in a fit of laughter.

After the rehearsal, he returned home to find his second son, Byun Jae-jun, who has transitioned from an artistic swimming athlete to a musical theater actor and now a choreographer. Jae-jun, resembling actor Yoo Ji-tae, caught attention as Byun Jin-seop shared how his son’s background in modern dance contributed to his current career.

Later, band members visited Byun Jin-seop's luxurious home, which featured a stylish kitchen and a spacious loft. While chatting, he reflected on the ballad boom that followed his debut, claiming, "I was the one who popularized the term 'ballad' in the industry. The last heir to this legacy is MeloMance's Kim Min-seok, whom I crowned as the successor."

Recently, comedian Song Pil-geun gained attention for singing 'To a Lady,' prompting Byun Jin-seop to jokingly express jealousy, saying, "It’s not my song, but it’s still nice." His son encouraged him to reclaim his spotlight, leading Byun Jin-seop to sing MeloMance's 'Is It Love?'

As they enjoyed a meal, Byun Jin-seop reminisced about his first album selling over 1.5 million copies, estimating it might have actually surpassed 2 million due to inaccurate record-keeping at the time. He revealed that in 1990, he earned 2 billion won from album sales, proudly recalling how he bought a luxury car after becoming a star. He humorously compared his past fame to today’s BTS, saying, "These days, they call it BTS, but I was BJS."

In another segment, Park Myung-soo and Ye-won appeared for the second episode of 'Walking to the Boss's House.' Park noted that the show has finally found its footing, suggesting that auditions for new bosses might be necessary. They met with Kim Gi-hwan, CEO of a century-old makgeolli company with an annual revenue of 50 billion won. Kim, who took over the company at 29, expressed curiosity about how to become number one in the industry.

Kim shared that 15 years ago, all makgeolli production was done manually, leading to inconsistent flavors. By standardizing processes and successfully automating production, he achieved rapid growth, although he acknowledged a lack of distribution expertise that prevented him from reaching the top spot. Park advised him to consider using models for promotion.

Park and Ye-won participated in a blind taste test, where Park humorously sang after trying various pairings of makgeolli and snacks. They then ventured into the Bangi-dong area, where they faced challenges selling makgeolli due to its expiration date. Park confidently engaged with restaurant owners, forming connections and suggesting menu pairings to promote the drink, successfully completing their sales efforts.

Chef Jung Ji-sun, after wrapping up the sales, organized her schedule and continued her English studies in preparation for international engagements. During a meeting with her managers, she mentioned plans for a New York pop-up store and a lecture at Harvard, earning her the title of 'Chef Jennie.' Inspired by her experiences, she expressed confidence in expanding to the U.S. and promised a vacation for the team that creates a menu that impresses Lucky and Alberto.

As the night progressed, the managers, delaying their departures, split into two teams to develop new menu items for the U.S. market. Jung Ji-sun received recommendations for successful dishes and ingredients from Lucky and Alberto, leading to the introduction of new items like tofu tacos and radish shrimp balls. Ultimately, the team unanimously chose the radish shrimp balls, and Jung Ji-sun crafted a new dish featuring chicken that showcased the strengths of both teams. This dish, inspired by the rising landmark 'Vessel' in the U.S., received rave reviews, fueling her dreams of expanding into the American market.