Comedian Joon-ha Jung opened up about the hidden struggles he faced during his 13 years on the national variety show Infinite Challenge, revealing the weight behind the laughs—from relentless pressure to worries about his family.
Jung recently guested on comedian Yongjin Lee's web show Jorongjanchi 2, where he playfully "roasted" himself with stories from his past and present. He joked about everything from his personal business ventures to wild rumors with his trademark composure, but when the topic shifted to Infinite Challenge, his tone turned notably serious.
"When filming went well, weekends felt unbelievably happy," Jung recalled. "I actually looked forward to the next shoot." But on weeks when he felt he fell short, everything changed. "I would call my parents for dinner just to keep them from watching the episode," he said. "My heart would pound from Monday, and by Wednesday I had intense anxiety," he added, vividly describing the pressure he felt at the time.
Asked about the most memorable specials, he shared bittersweet anecdotes. When the episode featuring kimchi-jeon (savory kimchi pancake) came up, Jung admitted, "Around that time, I kept trying to take my parents out so they wouldn't stay home," revealing how conscious he was of public reaction. As memories of the bobsleigh and wrestling specials—where he threw himself into the action—came up, cast members joked, "You probably didn't have to go as far as the ER."
On the wrestling special in particular, someone noted, "Joon-ha Jung's reality hit the hardest," to which he replied, "I wasn't trying to exaggerate anything," recalling just how intense it really was. "My wife was on set that day, and I was the heel, so I got booed a lot," he said. "Thinking about her watching that moment made me feel really awful," he confessed, turning the room somber.
Though he went all-in for laughs, Jung's confession laid bare the guilt he felt toward his family and the crushing expectations he carried—reminding everyone of the heavy legacy left by the name Infinite Challenge.