Choice and Focus Lead You to What You Want to Be!
If you meet someone who takes a responsibility as a PD of KBS which is mainly considered as one of the major broadcasters of Korea for people, what thought comes into your head? Probably, you will think “Wow, he has an amazing job!” However, like other fields, there are also hardships and triumphs on his work. CP had a great time with Pyo Man-suk who is working for KBS as a PD and has shown illustrious achievements in his field.
Pyo Man-suk is a PD who has being worked at KBS for twenty-six years. He has a bachelor’s degree in German Language and Literature and studied law as a minor while at the CNU. World Business Department is his current affiliation. For the position, he is devising a two-way content service by interworking between SNS and TV programs and is also producing programs on Korean Wave. Before working for this department, he has participated in a lot of documentary programs regarding medicine such as ‘The Secret of the Four Phases of Life’ and ‘Fetus’. Moreover, he also published several books to improve his professionalism.
★What Were the Courses Needed to Become a PD for Him?
Until he was a sophomore, he had no idea associated with his own future. However, the opportunities in which he could meet seniors working in journalism came to him. He met two people; one who was working for Daejeon Ilbo and the other was at a publishing company working as a critic. Before that time, his motive for engaging in a job concerning the media was unclear; those meetings provided momentum that set him in the direction of the job he currently has. He was also able to acquire the information about the field that he aimed for. “It is significant to have a time with person who has undergone more life experiences than you,” he says. After making a firm resolution, he started studying English to fulfill the firm’s demands. He put in a hard effort over 10 hours night and day; it lasted every day for a year. At that time, it is as hard as now to go into journalism, especially about major news media. As a result, he finally overcame the major hurdle of finding a job in competitive job market and entered KBS as a reward for his endeavors. However, the pleasure of the entering was short and the life that he experienced because he was a newcomer began. He broke stones in the shade for about 10 years; in common parlance, he even said, “I crawled on the floor to support”. After long days of hardships, he could finally take part in a program as a person in charge.
★What Is His Work as a PD?
He said, “PD is a program from A to Z.” As he mentioned, a PD is like an orchestra conductor, involved in planning, directing, broadcasting, etc. He manages a program in keeping with his own philosophy. Also, the position requires good instincts, and for this reason, there is a case that a new recruit accomplishes more successfully than others in the same field for a long time. One of the reasons for which he is drawn to the job is its flexibility; a PD can start new things in various areas such as entertainment, current affairs, health, or science. Moreover, there are many chances to meet various people engaged in different fields. His major, German Language and Literature, also helps him to compose, plan, and direct by being a spiritual nutrient element. Humanist ideas from authors such as Herman Hesse and Goethe’s broadened his understanding. Law studied as a sub-minor still helps him when making a program about current issues more than 20 years after leaving the university. He says, “Whatever you are majoring in now, it will become an aid at a broadcasting job because the position deals with extensive bounds of knowledge.”
His representative documentary work, ‘Fetus’, won a judge special prize at the 3D Creative Arts Award in 2013 where Ang Lee’s ‘Life of Pi’ was given the Harold Lloyd Award for the first prize. It has an important meaning in a domestic 3D industry as a first 3D program among ground wave channels in Korea. ‘Fetus’ is a film which deals with a process about the creation of life along with 6 real pregnant women by shooting them over 200 days from pregnancy to birth; 400 million won was invested into the production of the movie. In the program, there are his intentions that people watching this realize they didn’t birth thoughtlessly and are given a meaningful impression to their existence. He hopes his work is of help to present low fertility society. To add to these activities, he also published some books on his field such as ‘One Day, One Desire’ and ‘KBS Donguibogam’ and is writing. One of his books stayed on the bestseller list for several weeks.
★The Process of Making a Program
He briefly explained the process of making one program about medicine. First, you have to cast of doctors and patients for subjects. Because there are some strong advantages to public broadcasting such as credibility and the possibility of gaining and sharing information, the process is conducted easily. Second, key information on disease, causes, and cures is delivered by experts for advice and is taken as counsel. Then, they repeat numerous cross checks with many doctors to broadcast correct information.
★For the Students of CNU
He says, “Whatever you want, set the point of the impact correctly.” The point of the impact means the spot where a bullet first hits. Then, he says, your time and effort should be put into that point. These processes are called ‘Choice and Focus’. Moreover, there is another thing that he wants to recommend. Don’t think “I can do it.” That sentence is so vague that it is possible to remain as empty words. “I can also do it,” is the right quotation for him. He also assures us that KBS is worth seeking. More than half of the applicants are imaginary numbers which just submit an application with hazy expectations, and KBS hires new employees through its fair and due process without discrimination against anything. He says, “If you treasure an unshakable belief that position is mine in your head, the competition rate will be 1:1 or 2:1 because a person having true capacity we seek is rare.”
By Lee Hyo-jin / CP Reporter / lhj3220@cnu.ac.kr