Kim Young-hee and Jung Bum-gyun on 'Malja Show', which attracts 10,000 viewers every week

The Second Prime of 'Grandma Malja' Kim Young-hee, with Over 10,000 Applicants Every Week

The popularity of the KBS 2TV variety show 'Malja Show' is soaring. The 'Grandma Malja' character played by comedian Kim Young-hee has captured viewers' hearts, marking a new peak in her career. In a recent interview, Kim Young-hee proved the explosive response to 'Malja Show' with numbers: every week, between 10,000 and 15,000 people apply to be in the audience, with 800 selected to attend the live recording.

This reaction stems from Kim Young-hee's 'experience-based talk.' Rather than relying on knowledge from books, she provides meddlesome yet helpful advice based on her own lived experiences. The 'Grandma Malja' character was born from a counseling segment she started during her comedy theater days to fill about 20 minutes of empty stage time, which unexpectedly became a hit. At that time, Kim played roles like a foul-mouthed grandmother or a grandmother at a traditional soybean paste restaurant, and her journey truly began when Jung Bum-gyun saw the performance and suggested she join 'Gag Concert.'

The name 'Malja' carries the will to cut off negative emotions, such as 'Don't be depressed' (Uul-hae-ji mal-ja) or 'Don't cry' (Ul-ji ma-ja). This aligns with the identity of the 'Communication Queen Grandma Malja' segment she presented on KBS 'Gag Concert.' When asked about the secret to her counseling, Kim replied, "I don't read a single page of a book." Instead, she emphasized, "Experience is the greatest book. The other person's life becomes my book."

Recently, she offered comfort to a viewer whose life felt "tangled" by using a metaphor of a twisted pretzel (kkwabaegi). Kim said, "Everyone's life gets tangled. No one goes in a perfectly straight line," adding, "Even if it gets tangled, I think it's my job to sprinkle plenty of sugar on it to make it a sweet life."

"A Meeting of Fire and Water": A 4-Year Real-Life Partnership with Jung Bum-gyun

Kim Young-hee's relationship with her partner, Jung Bum-gyun, was also revealed. The two have been working together for four years since their 'Gag Concert' days, building teamwork through repeated cycles of conflict and reconciliation caused by their differing personalities. Kim compared herself, who is honest with her emotions, to 'fire,' while describing the realistic and rational Jung Bum-gyun as 'water.'

Their personality differences are evident even on set. When Kim's segment is completely edited out during recording, she complains to Jung, who brings her back to reality by saying, "But you still get paid." There was even a time when Kim, expressing disappointment over the PD's editing direction, and Jung, who usually only offered gentle smiles, had a heated argument. At that time, Jung retorted, "Then am I supposed to get angry with you too?"

The conflict ended with an apology from Jung Bum-gyun. Kim said, "In the end, water overcomes fire. If Jung Bum-gyun had been fire, we wouldn't have made it this far." Jung responded, "Thanks to the fire-like Kim Young-hee, I am also becoming much warmer."

Tracing the Path from Comedy Theater to a 'Gag Concert' Spin-off

'Malja Show' is a spin-off program derived from the 'Gag Concert' segment 'Communication Queen Grandma Malja.' Unlike the original segment, it differentiates itself by more actively incorporating Kim Young-hee's own stories, and this is the first time the segment has been produced as a separate one-hour program.

In the past, Kim worked on comedy theater stages playing roles like a foul-mouthed grandmother or a grandmother at a traditional soybean paste restaurant. At that time, she filled about 20 minutes of empty script time with counseling, which received a great response from the audience. Following Jung Bum-gyun's suggestion after watching the performance, she appeared on KBS 'Gag Concert,' where she presented the 'Grandma Malja' character—who felt more like a college graduate—instead of the 'foul-mouthed grandmother' to comply with broadcasting regulations.

When asked again about the secret to her problem-solving, Kim once again emphasized life. She said, "I just enjoy buying pretty books, but I find it hard to actually open and read them," adding, "Since I have never lived the anchor's life, what the anchor tells me becomes a book to me; and since the anchor has not lived my life, what I say becomes a book to them."