Channel A ‘Trade Secrets of Detectives’
On ‘Trade Secrets of Detectives’, a man who spent a warped childhood amid his biological father’s violence sets out to find the stepmother who was the only one to embrace him, 27 years later, sharing a heartrending story.
In the ‘Detective 24 Hours’ segment of Channel A’s ‘Trade Secrets of Detectives’, airing at 10 p.m. on the 20th, the story is revealed of a man who says, “I want to meet the stepmother I was separated from 27 years ago and express my gratitude.” The client lost his biological mother to cancer when he was in first grade, and in just over a year he had a stepmother. The presence of a stepmother who appeared before he could accept his mother’s death nurtured deep defiance in the young boy. On top of that, his father, a hulking 183cm, 100kg man, inflicted harsh corporal punishment with both fists and sticks. He recalls, “I was beaten so often that my consciousness would fade. I was terrified even at the mere sight of my father’s shadow.” In response, his stepmother sent him to her older brother’s home every vacation so he could be at ease, but he misunderstood this as, “You are abandoning me.” He confesses, “I came to think all this misfortune was because of my stepmother and became even more wayward.”
Then, in his first year of high school, he had an accident in which a box cutter badly injured his palm. The sight of his stepmother holding his hand and, in tears, pleading with the doctor, “Sir, please save my child’s finger,” opened the door to his tightly closed heart. After repairing his relationship with her, he immersed himself in his studies, ranking near the top of the mechanical department at his technical high school and winning admission to university. On the day he left for another region, his stepmother, who had long had difficulty with one leg, struggled to run to him and pressed into his hand the small stash of savings she had accumulated. He adds, recalling, “I cried so much that the banknotes were soaked with sweat and tears and crumpled.” Later, on his first leave after entering the military, his stepmother hugged him tight and laid out a table full of his favorite foods. But the happiness was short-lived: he then heard the shocking news from his father, “Your stepmother ran away with $15,000 (20,000,000 KRW).” From that day on, he did not see her for 27 years. What happened to his stepmother back then, and whether he will be able to meet her again and convey the gratitude he has kept buried deep in his heart, will be revealed in the broadcast.
This broadcast features Jeong Geun-woo, a legendary former professional baseball player and TV personality once called the ‘Devil’s Second Baseman’, joining as a one-day detective. A three-time Golden Glove winner and the first in the KBO to steal 20 bases for 10 consecutive seasons, he has been enjoying a second heyday since retirement, moving between television and YouTube. However, an unexpected update is shared: “These days I am even busier than during my playing days.” Currently appearing in ‘Bulkkot Baseball 2’ with manager Kim Sung-keun, he confides, “I am practicing, and I also have to take an entry tryout. This is an important time, so I could get scolded by the manager for being here,” revealing his nerves. He continues, “Even yesterday I trained for two hours. It would be better to just keep playing as a pro,” even revealing his calluses. Jeong Geun-woo’s passionate run can be confirmed on Channel A’s ‘Trade Secrets of Detectives’ at 10 p.m. on Monday, April 20.
