'Gilgili' Lee Hye-jung "Father Lee Jong-dae, Chairman of Yuhan-Kimberly, left a will to serve warm meals to mourners"

Culinary researcher Lee Hye-jeong / Photo by Channel A, screenshot from the broadcast of 'About Happy & Gilgili Lives Again'

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Seulgi Kim] Culinary researcher 'Big Mama' Lee Hye-jung spoke about the 'bap jeong (情)' emphasized by her late father, Lee Jong-dae, former chairman of Yuhan-Kimberly.

On the 6th, Channel A's entertainment program 'About Happy & Gilgili Lives Again' ('Gilgili') aired a scene where the couple Kim Han-gil and Choi Myung-gil visited culinary researcher Lee Hye-jung to share a meal together.

In the broadcast, Lee Hye-jung cited 'bap jeong (情)' as the secret to happiness. She added, "Compared to other gifts, there are joyful memories with people who have shared delicious food," and explained, "The reason I think this way is because of my parents' influence."

Lee Hye-jung revealed, "Before my father passed away, he told those attending his funeral not to give condolence money but to be served a warm bowl of rice," and said, "That made me vow to share more bap jeong and more love."

Culinary researcher Lee Hye-jeong / Photo by Channel A from the broadcast screen of 'About Happy & Gilgili Lives Again'

On that day, Lee Hye-jung also spoke about the origin of her nickname 'Big Mama.' She said, "When I was learning to cook, I was the class leader who distributed ingredients, but instead of giving the exact amount, I gave generously. The Western homeroom teacher saw me like that and gave me the nickname 'Big Mama.'"

Meanwhile, Lee Hye-jung has started acting in theater alongside her culinary research activities. She is currently appearing in 'It's Home Shopping Corporation,' which depicts a foul-mouthed grandmother who struggles as a home shopping host for her granddaughter.

When Choi Myung-gil asked about her recent activities as a theater actress, saying, "I heard you are acting these days," Lee Hye-jung replied, "I thought only pretty people became actors, but people like me do it too. As I get older, I was losing vitality, so I challenged myself in a new field to regain it."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.