‘Vocational High School Alumna’ Lee Mi-joo: Her Father Was a Teacher Who Opposed Her Dream of Becoming an Entertainer (YOUNGCREATORCREW)

[Jeong An-ji, reporter for Sportschosun] Lee Mi-joo amused viewers by sharing how she persuaded her father, a teacher who opposed her dream of becoming an entertainer, with her report card.

The second part of SBS’s ‘The Formula for Success, Rewritten – YOUNGCREATORCREW Is on the Way to Work,’ airing on Sunday the 25th, follows 16-year-old students as they navigate career choices and grapple with their futures ahead of high school. Their earnest efforts to forge their own paths rather than follow a formula for success set by others are complemented by the four MCs’ heartfelt reactions and witty banter, making for an entertaining show.

Lee Mi-joo is reminded of her own past by the students’ bold challenges. She says she secretly went to auditions behind her parents’ backs as she pursued her dream of becoming an entertainer, but her father, a teacher, firmly opposed her, saying, “Don’t even say the first syllable of ‘entertainer.’” But after seeing Lee Mi-joo’s report card, he could no longer simply oppose her, and she says that after she received notice that she had passed an audition, he instead became a steadfast supporter. Lee Mi-joo’s vivid account of how she ultimately proved her potential adds to the fun.

Father of two Moon Se-yoon is more deeply immersed than anyone in the concerns of ninth-grade students, who are the same age as his eldest daughter. He understands both the students who want to build expertise in their fields early and the concerns of parents who want them to go to college, gain a range of experiences, and then decide. Watching a vocational high school admissions session packed with students and parents, Moon says regretfully, “I shouldn’t be here. I should have taken my kids by the hand and gone over there.” Moon Se-yoon’s candid reaction as a down-to-earth dad is sure to bring both laughter and empathy.

Lee Sang-yeob is impressed by the story of a student ranked first in the school who is torn between a humanities-focused high school and a semiconductor high school. The student’s attitude—planning their future proactively rather than being bound by excellent grades or adults’ expectations—makes a deep impression. Speaking of the student, who takes a clear-eyed view of the realities of finding a job despite their young age, Lee says, “I think that student’s parents must be moved to tears watching this program. How did they raise their child so well?” He even expresses envy.

So Seul-ji focuses on the passion of a ninth-grade aspiring chef who hopes to attend a culinary high school. Seeing the student travel from Pohang to Daegu for cooking lessons every weekend and practice knife skills late into the night as they prepare for high school, So says eagerly, “I wonder if we might see them on ‘Culinary Class Wars’ soon.” So Seul-ji’s warm support for a student who quietly works toward a dream and her recognition of the student’s potential are expected to resonate with students and parents considering their career paths.

The program also tells the stories of young people who developed their skills at vocational high schools and found jobs at companies in Silicon Valley. Watching the two work remotely from Korea while making their mark on the world, Moon Se-yoon is left speechless: “Their mindset is so healthy. They even seem like older sisters.” Lee Mi-joo agrees, saying, “I caught myself saying, ‘Yes, unnie,’” sending the set into laughter. The stories of young people who gained work experience before college and forged their own paths show students considering their high school choices another possibility.

The second part of SBS’s ‘The Formula for Success, Rewritten – YOUNGCREATORCREW Is on the Way to Work,’ featuring 16-year-old students seeking their own paths and the families who share their struggles, airs Sunday, October 25, at 10:55 a.m.

This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.…Read more by AnJee, Jung