EBS1 Extreme Jobs: Chef Kim Mi-ryeong of an Andong Noodle Restaurant Serving 1,000 Bowls a Day and Singer Kim Yong-pil

People who create the best moments for Extreme Jobs

There are those who spend intense days to provide the best moments to many people. From preparing ingredients to cooking, Chef Kim Mi-ryeong, an "Imokase" who puts her heart into every meal despite the ceaseless and grueling work, and singer Kim Yong-pil, who travels all over the country to take the stage without rest during the autumn when local festivals reach their peak! We follow the passionate scenes of these two individuals struggling with their work in different workplaces: the kitchen and the stage.

* Broadcast Date/Time: Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 9:05 PM, EBS1

Chef Kim Mi-ryeong, struggling for the best taste!

Chef Kim Mi-ryeong has been cooking in the same spot for over 38 years, serving warm meals to customers. Having naturally become close to the kitchen while helping with the noodle restaurant her mother operated, Chef Kim Mi-ryeong now manages the shop following in her mother's footsteps, running it with her husband. The signature menu, Andong noodles, boasts a savory taste and texture different from regular noodles by mixing soybean powder and wheat flour in a 5:5 ratio. The restaurant is said to be bustling all day with customers seeking that special taste. Making 1,000 bowls of noodles a day and working while standing for long periods, back pain is a given, and even her husband silently continues the shop work despite suffering from various injuries such as burns and shoulder pain... What lifts them up even in difficult moments is the moment they face their customers. Wearing Hanbok suitable for Korean food, she greets customers, finds joy in talking with regulars who have visited for decades, and teaching foreign customers visiting for the first time how to eat the food.

Despite her busy schedule, Chef Kim Mi-ryeong heads to the market every morning without fail. Her day begins with personally inspecting and selecting each fresh ingredient to be used that day. Having maintained the business in one place for a long time, her principles regarding ingredients are firm. She does not pick any small ingredient used in a bowl of noodles carelessly and insists on domestic ingredients. Once she returns from market shopping, the full-scale war with the kitchen begins. Beyond the basics of preparing every ingredient for the noodles, she also personally mixes the fresh kimchi (geotjeori) served with the meal using special seasoning. On top of this, from preparing the broth and noodles to managing the shop during peak hours when orders pour in, there is not even a moment to catch a breath.

Although it is a grueling daily routine that repeats every day, there is only one reason why she does not compromise on anything. It is to provide an unchanging taste to the customers who have visited for many years. To put her own principles and sincerity into a warm bowl of noodles, Chef Kim Mi-ryeong guards the kitchen again today. We follow her intense day to create a consistent taste.

Running for a perfect stage! - Singer Kim Yong-pil

Singer Kim Yong-pil, who travels to event venues all over the country to present songs and joy to the audience! Having watched the broadcasting scene as an announcer for 26 years, he has been spending busy days traveling to performance stages nationwide after starting a new challenge as a singer. The experience he accumulated in the broadcasting field for a long time is fully melted into his stage preparations. Before stepping on stage, he not only examines the costumes himself, checking every single button meticulously, but also personally looks after the costumes and movements of the dance team performing with him. To increase the completeness of the performance, he creates the stage by constantly exchanging opinions with those working together.

In particular, he becomes even busier ahead of a concert. For this concert, he said he must meticulously check the flow and movement of the performance to present a stage that combines song and theater. Among them, the biggest task is the choreography. Since he is not a professional dancer, learning unfamiliar movements is not easy, but he repeats the same movements in the practice room for hours to show a new side to the audience. Since he must handle both singing and choreography, it is a process that is not easy physically either. Even on the day before the performance, his preparation continues until he steps on stage. He sits in the audience seats himself to check how the stage looks and meticulously inspects whether any areas are blocked from view depending on the seating. He is re-checking the performance movement and stage composition so that every single audience member can fully enjoy the performance! He does not let his guard down until the last moment to create the best performance by checking every small detail himself.

Meanwhile, the support from fans waiting for Kim Yong-pil's stage is also passionate. Some collect donations to prepare cheering tools, while others arrive at the venue much earlier than the singer to prepare cheering tools. While some make do with simple kimbap to eat in order to cheer for the singer, others even take a day off from work to work at the site; the reason they cheer for the singer this much is that they were deeply moved by Kim Yong-pil's songs. Kim Yong-pil, who is continuing new challenges on stage as a singer. We follow his passionate stage preparation scene.

* Related photos are available on the EBS institutional website (about.ebs.co.kr) - Cyber PR Office - Highlights, on the corresponding broadcast date.

◆ At a Glance

· Publishing Institution: EBS

· Category: Extreme Jobs

· Distribution: October 2

Source: EBS Press Release

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