The final(?) entry into the Korean Footballers on TV are Hwang In-beom (황인범) and Kim Min-jae’s (김민재) appearance on tvN’s You Quiz on the Block (유 퀴즈 온 더 블럭). If you haven’t seen the show before or read the previous entries on Son Woong-jeong or Cho Gue-sung’s appearances, the show goes like this. A variety of people from all walks of life appear on the show and discuss various topics with the two hosts, Yoo Jae-suk (유재석) and Jo Se-ho (조세호). At the end of the show the guest has a chance to answer a quiz question to win approximately $1,000 (100만원). If they fail they can get a small fun prize instead.
Appearing on the show
Both expressed feeling a lot of nervousness on appearing on the show, saying that they felt more nervous than their first game. Kim Min-jae said that he is a fan of Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho (as is his wife) which is why he was happy to appear on the program. Hwang In-beom jokingly asked if Kim Min-jae is only a fan of the two MCs and not the rest of the staff. Hwang In-beom went on to say that he also (and his wife) is a fan of the show and had half-joked that, before the World Cup, if he did well at the World Cup he might have a chance to guest on the show.
First meeting
Yoo Jae-suk asked if the two had always been close friends since they were both born in 1996. Kim Min-jae answered that at first they weren’t that close since they only saw each other through the national team, and that their first meeting was when they were in high school. Hwang In-beom recalled that when Kim Min-jae first came to the national team his strongest memory was that at the dorms where the players were staying, there was a tree that had a wasp nest in it, and that Kim Min-jae was the player who went out, knocked it down, and then had to run away. Yoo Jae-suk asked him why he did that, and Kim Min-jae jokingly responded it was a form of speed training. He went on that he thought it was also a way for the team to get closer and sort of break the ice.
The Uruguay match
The two were asked about the Uruguay match. Kim Min-jae said that while Uruguay is a strong team, while many felt relieved that Korea came out with a draw, he said many in the team felt that it was actually a bit disappointing they hadn’t won it. He later said that after the match, the players said they thought they could’ve won it, and that even though they drew (which was good) they felt strange.
They asked Hwang In-beom about the fact that he had run the most of the two teams in the match, clocking in at 11.25km. Hwang In-beom said that he later checked who had run the most of all the teams at the World Cup in a single match and found that Croatia’s Marcelo Brozovic had run 13.7km, so his distance wasn’t that much. Kim Min-jae added that when, as a defender, he would see the midfielders running like that it pushed him to run and be more active as well.
The viral clip
They also asked Kim Min-jae about the now viral clip of him yelling at Son Heung-min to get back to his position and stop complaining. Kim Min-jae explained that Korea had a goal kick, but Son Heung-min kept talking to the referee, so Kim Min-jae was just ‘reminding’ him that he needed to pay attention to the ball since it was a chance for Korea to start a move. Kim Min-jae said he felt a little upset at how the situation had been portrayed since Son Heung-min, beyond the fame and captaincy, is also older and a senior player to Kim Min-jae, so some saw the situation as being lacking in manners. As a half-joke, Kim Min-jae even obliged the show a recreation of the situation (at the beginning they told the two that even one second of video cost 200만원 – approximately $1,600 USD).
The Ghana match
They went on to talk about the Ghana match. Kim Min-jae expressed his regret that even though they scored twice they lost. Being a defender it’s his responsibility to help ensure that if the team scores, they don’t let the other team score. They revealed that while Paulo Bento is very active and expressive on the pitch during games, he is very calm and cool in the locker room. They also commented on how different he is from Korean coaches, and that sometimes they get flustered when they see him throw up his hands on the sideline when they make a mistake.
Bento’s sending off and Ghana post-match
They also talked about the end of the Ghana match when the referee whistled for the end of the match when Korea had a corner. They said that many of the players cried (or felt like crying). Kim Min-jae said he cried when the players approached the fan section to greet them after the match and he saw his parents in the crowd. They were also asked about whether Paulo Bento intentionally got himself sent off in order to protect the players. Hwang In-beom replied that only Bento knew the truth. Kim Min-jae thought that it was simply that Bento couldn’t control his anger at the team not getting to take the corner.
Relationship with Bento
Jo Se-ho jokingly asked if any of the players actually did call Bento ‘father’ (a nickname Bento has picked up is 벤버지 which is a combination of Bento plus the Korean word for father 벤투 + 아버지). Kim Min-jae said none of the players called him father, but he thought Bento saw one player like a son – Hwang In-beom (he also joked that there had been a lot of discrimination due to this). He explained that Bento would often call Hwang In-beom over and the two would have private conversations (also since Hwang In-beom can speak English). Hwang In-beom said they didn’t talk about much, just small talk, since Bento found out that the two could have small conversations. Kim Min-jae said that his individual conversations with Bento were more about his tendency to make forward runs from the defense. Bento prefers the defense and defensive midfielder to move as one unit.
The Portugal match
They talked about the Portugal match as well. Kim Min-jae, who was on the bench because of injury, told them that before Hwang Hee-chan went on, he told him that he was going to score a goal. They talked about how the whole team waited on the field after the match to learn the result from the Ghana-Uruguay match. Kim Min-jae said he was using the text updates rather than the live video. Hwang In-beom said that those eight minutes were the longest eight minutes of his life.
Son Heung-min
They also asked the two about Son Heung-min. Hwang In-beom said that he asked Son Heung-min when he first joined up about how he was feeling, and he said Son Heung-min told him that while it hurt a bit, he thought it’d be alright. Hwang In-beom said he suspected that it was more a case of, due to the pressure of responsibility, Son Heung-min felt like it had to be alright. Kim Min-jae also commented that seeing Son Heung-min playing in that condition pushed him.
Fame and their hometowns
They also joked how Kim Min-jae, who is from the seaside town of Tongyeong, has possibly surpassed oysters as being the town’s most famous product. Hwang In-beom said he believes he is still far from passing bread as Daejeon’s most famous product.
From Tongyeong to the national team
Kim Min-jae also discussed how when he first joined up with the national team he rode with his father in their truck all the way from Tongyeong. Kim Min-jae said he was a little embarrassed then about it because all the other players arrived in ‘normal’ cars, but their truck (which was used to transport live seafood, had all the different signs of the different sea life they transported. He said that he was embarrassed then, but now he is proud and grateful to his father for taking the time to drive him all the way to Gyeonggi-do from Tongyeong.
Marriage
Hwang In-beom said he didn’t have any particularly special memories or stories to tell. Just that he had lived his life, much like his role on the pitch, quietly and just doing what he needed to do. Jo Se-ho pushed him to talk a little about his wife, and Hwang In-beom just said that they had dated for over five years before getting married last year. Kim Min-jae said that he got married when he was young, and he and his wife have been married for four years.
Piraeus and Napoli restaurant recommendations
Yoo Jae-suk asked both of them if there were any good restaurants near the Olympiacos and Napoli club houses. Hwang In-beom showed his love for his wife and Korean food by answering his favorite place to eat was at home and his wife’s cooking. Kim Min-jae said that for Napoli it was, of course, pizza.
Quiz
For the quiz, the two were asked to do charades with the topic being football players names. The two did well and were able to answer Son Heung-min, Lionel Messi, Paulo Bento, and Cho Gyu-sung. However, they needed to match five in the time limit and they just ran short. So, their prize was… well you can see below.
Site Note: Posting here might slow down a bit. Jinseok is working on a big, complex post (series). I recently started a new job, so my time to write has taken a significant hit. Also it is a bit of a slow news time right now. In any event, posting will continue, but a slower rate than before. 양해부탁드립니다~
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