Appearing on “A Game with God”, Lee Yeon-bok talked about when he broke his nose while trying to calm a waiter and his friendship with BTS Jin.
On the broadcast of MBN’s entertainment program “A Game with God/ 신과 한판” on March 18th, chef Lee Yeon-bok of a Chinese restaurant appeared and talked about various things.
When Kim Gu-ra said, “I heard Lee Yeon-bok is sweeping money”, Lee Yeon-bok answered, “No one can endure this period of time. Last year’s statistics even showed a deficit of 120 million won. Because of Covid-19, we could accept only two people each. How much can 2 people eat?” Kim Gu-ra then asked, “You’re already in your mid-60s, don’t you think you should get some rest?”. Lee Yeon-bok confessed, “In the past, I used to think that I should take a rest and relax when I have time to do so, but now I couldn’t rest as long as the restaurant is still here. I keep worrying about the restaurant so I continue to manage it”.
Revealing that he went to the same elementary school as Joo Hyun-mi, Lee Yeon-bok said, “We were in the same class of the same school. When I was in grade 3 of elementary school, there was a Lee Mi-ja impersonation contest. I remember that Joo Hyun-mi received an award because she sang so well”, adding, “My school built a museum called ‘People who brought glory to the school’ inside the school. I’m the first person to be named there”.
Talking about his friendship with BTS, Lee Yeon-bok said, “Jin is the member who contacts me the most. When Jin becomes busier, we might not be able to meet often, but if we meet, he will call and notify me in advance”. He continued, “I met them for the first time on a cooking program, and we exchanged contact information after recording. Jin asked, ‘Can I go to the store?’ I replied, ‘Come anytime’ He came to my restaurant with his family. He sent me good wine from America. I was really moved when receiving it.” Lee Yeon-bok said, “My grandson asked me when Jin was coming, so I answered, ‘He said he wanted to see you.’ Jin came right after the performance. He visited us with his apple hair.”
Heo Kyung-hwan went on to say, “I once met Lee Yeon-bok’s friend in America. He said that there used to be a lot of credit, but if only Lee Yeon-bok went, the bill would have been paid.” Lee Yeon-bok revealed, “After saying ‘The boss told me to come and collect the bill’, I sat there until I got it.”
When Heo Kyung-hwan asked “Tell us about the mess at the Myeongdong hotel”, he shared, “I was taking a break while working at the Chinese restaurant in the hotel. The waiter threw a plate at the chef and a fight broke out.”
Lee Yeon-bok confessed, “The waiter was making such a fuss that I rushed in to catch him and broke my nose. I was fired right away. I’ve been working as a delivery person since I was 13, so I dealt with a lot of rough people. That’s why my personality had no choice but to change like that.”
