EBS ‘Seo Jang-hoon’s Next-door Millionaire’
On ‘Seo Jang-hoon’s Next-door Millionaire’, the dramatic life story of a family that rewrote the history of trout farming in South Korea will be revealed.
Airing at 9:55 p.m. on the 4th, EBS’s ‘Seo Jang-hoon’s Next-door Millionaire’ will unfold the tumultuous life story of Kim Jae-yong, the ‘trout millionaire’ who built the ‘trout legend’ in the pristine Class 1 waters of Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. Farming a staggering 80,000 trout on a 30,000-pyeong site and boasting overwhelming scale, Kim is the second generation to carry on the family business after his father, who established ‘South Korea’s first trout farm’. The saga of grit that transformed ‘a land without a single trout’ into a sacred ground of domestic trout farming is set to captivate viewers.
The beginnings of trout farming date back to 1965. Introduced at the national level to address the livelihood hardships of Gangwon-do residents at the time, trout farming was operated under government leadership for ten years before being sold in 1975 to Kim Jae-yong’s father. Originally running a bookstore and an electronics dealership, Kim’s father was captivated one day by the deep flavor and striking presentation of raw trout, boldly closing all his businesses to bet his life on trout. Joining the aquaculture business with his father at the young age of 23, Kim Jae-yong likewise devoted his life to trout. But the road to success was not smooth. Candidly revealing the grueling reality hidden behind success, he says, “Family conflicts were intense at the time.” The family’s dogged determination and tears that created something from nothing, and the sense of responsibility passed down through generations, are expected to deliver a profound resonance.
This episode also unveils a feast of trout dishes that instantly won over ‘the picky gourmand’ Seo Jang-hoon. From sashimi made with just-caught trout to grilled trout with perfectly crisped skin, as the diverse spread appears, Seo Jang-hoon cannot stop exclaiming, saying, “I don’t think I’ve had it quite like this before.” He continues, “The skin is really crispy, and above all, the flesh is packed tight. Value for money is also very important,” launching into a whirlwind mukbang that makes him forget the recording. Watching this, Jang Ye-won playfully asks, “Would you like to keep eating a bit more before coming back?”, sending the set into laughter. The allure of trout that sent the usually cool-headed Seo Jang-hoon into a trance, along with the hidden history of South Korea’s first trout farming and a family’s success story forged by persistence, can be seen at 9:55 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4 on EBS’s ‘Seo Jang-hoon’s Next-door Millionaire’.
