At first glance, Kim Seon-geun's transition to becoming a freelancer seemed like a natural step for a broadcaster who had taken an elite course. He joined KBS in 2014 and has walked a solid path by hosting popular programs such as ‘Entertainment Weekly’ and establishing himself as a radio DJ. In the process, he became accustomed to the sweetness of success while rarely experiencing failure, and this experience eventually became the seed of arrogance that led him to overestimate himself. He was overly optimistic about his reputation and abilities at the time, and overlooked how harsh the broadcasting environment would be after he left the company. The unfounded confidence that “I can become Jeon Hyun-moo” led him to the bold decision to resign, but when he actually entered the jungle of freelancing, the only reality he faced was cold treatment and indifference.

The decisive factor behind my decision to become a freelancer was a combination of economic pressure and poor investment judgment. The root of the problem was that he took out a loan using his professional credibility as an announcer and made unreasonable investments. To make matters worse, he won the subscription for a new apartment in Paju, putting him under financial pressure that was difficult to bear. Before I left the company, I had promised to appear on the show and painted a rosy future, but when I actually opened the door, not a single promised broadcast came to fruition. As he saw his bank account balance turning negative instead of making any income, he had to painfully realize that he was a frog in a well. This was a bitter ending brought about by a reckless challenge taken without accurately understanding the status of one's assets and market value.

The threat to his livelihood after leaving the company was a harsh ordeal that forced him to put down his pride as a broadcaster. From holding the fancy microphone on stage, he had to jump into physical labor such as delivering laundry, loading and unloading packages, and being a designated driver. His willingness to even take on a part-time job in bioequivalence testing for the development of new drugs came as a huge shock to viewers. This was more than just a means to solve economic poverty, it was a process of desperate self-reflection that required one to deny one's past and start over from the bottom of reality. The weight of the reality that Shin Dong-yup has been hiding, to the point where he says, “I thought I was living a good life,” clearly reveals how the lives of celebrities we see on TV are built on an unstable foundation.

Kim Seon-geun’s case serves as an opportunity to dismantle the illusions of the words ‘resignation’ and ‘freelance’ today. The illusion that one can immediately succeed if one leaves the confines of a large corporation or public broadcasting company, and the belief that one's abilities will always be overvalued in the market, are dangerous illusions shared by many office workers. However, the market is cold, and the actual capabilities of the individual behind the brand are evaluated by much harsher standards. Kim Seon-geun honestly admitted his failure, calling it “a nonsense,” but his honesty is filled with bitterness about the reality he realized too late and deep regret about his arrogant past. This is a powerful warning to those who blindly dream of independence, warning them of the dangerous cost of taking on an unprepared challenge.