All-Rounder Boom Enjoys Career Revival

TV personality Boom's reactions are so spontaneous and unpredictable that one often wonders what he says makes any sense at all. But his boundless enthusiasm and energy are irresistible to his many fans, and he is certainly good at adding fun to the programs he hosts.

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After his recent success on TV Chosun's reality show "Mr. Trot", Boom is enjoying a resurgence of his career by hosting a slew of new shows on both terrestrial and cable channels.

"I was desperate to survive in this field", he told the Chosun Ilbo about his newfound popularity. "I started when I was in third grade in middle school [in 1997] as a member of a boy band, but it was failure after failure. I think my talent, which I had to suppress during the course of these failures, is finally coming to the fore".

After the first band folded he joined another group, Nu Clear, but that also proved a damp squib. He tried once more with another band in 2001, but that did not fare well either.

Yet he remained undeterred and decided that if he could not be a star, he would be a supporting player. "I was so desperate to survive No Matter What. When I was a reporter for a showbiz news program, of course the main spotlight should have gone to the stars that I interviewed, but I also wanted people to recognize me. That was the only way I thought I could survive".

He made a quasi-scientific study of all the presenters on TV and decided there was a niche for him in the clown category. Once settled on that, he became a sought-after entertainer. Even in minor engagements his presence shone through.

"My job is to make stars shine", said Boom, so he needs to tread carefully not to go over the top, because then his own persona will become a distraction. "There is a fine line between being enthusiastic and being irritating. You have to be quick to gauge when to say something, how far to go, and when to shut up", he says.

Hard work lies behind his agility. He takes copious notes every time he has an idea and constantly refers to them, as well as trying to learn from his fellow professionals, knowing that he cannot afford stop making efforts to get better.