Cha Tae-hyun: "I Wanted to Be a PD, Singer, and Actor Growing Up" — A One-of-a-Kind Star Who Achieved All His Dreams

Cha Tae-hyun once again proved why he remains at the top.

On the September 4 broadcast of the SBS program "Secretary Jin - Genie of All Trades" (hereafter "Secretary Jin"), Cha Tae-hyun was shown successfully completing a performance despite struggling with his physical condition.

Watching Cha successfully pull off the concert despite the worst-case scenario, Lee Seo-jin caught viewers' attention by saying, "I always have trust in Tae-hyun. He is the only one who has reached the top in everything. Since he is that kind of guy, there was naturally no need to worry."

After the concert, the "Amudda Band" celebrated the successful conclusion of their show with a pork belly dinner party. Meanwhile, Cha was still seen sweating profusely, evoking concern.

Kim Kwang-gyu remarked that among actors, Cha is the only one who does it all—movies, dramas, and singing. In response, Cha mentioned Cho Jung-seok, saying, "There are quite a few who both sing and act, like Jung-seok." However, he agreed with the cast that no one else spans variety shows as well.

To this, Lee Seo-jin added, "On top of that, he even succeeded as a radio DJ. He has never failed. He reached the top in every single field," reiterating praise for this one-of-a-kind, top-tier "My Star."

Cha drew attention by revealing, "Back in high school, my dream was to be a PD." Explaining why, he shared, "My father was a broadcasting station sound effects director and my mother was a voice actor, so I grew up around the broadcasting station from a young age. Naturally, when it came time to form dreams, those kinds of aspirations formed. In high school, I wanted to be a director, a singer, and an actor." He added, "I thought to myself, 'If I make a movie later, star in the lead role, and sing the OST, I can do it all,'" proving that what he thought were just childhood dreams became a reality.

Cha has indeed even directed a drama in the past. Hearing this, Lee Seo-jin exclaimed in admiration, "He truly is the only one in South Korea."

On this day, Cha also shared the reason why he quit drinking. Starting out by sharing non-alcoholic beverages that his wife enjoyed, he eventually gave up alcohol to maintain his structured daily routine, proving once again why he remains at the top even well past 30 years since his debut.

Meanwhile, Hong Kyung-min, the leader of the Amudda Band, made an announcement, saying, "I have a brief notice. Visually, it looks like a massive hit, but there's a backstory behind the numbers. Please understand that the compensation for your hard work isn't very large," as he handed out daily wages to the band members and guests.

Cha also received his daily wage. Upon checking the amount, Cha joked, "The real relief is that part-time wages come out of this," and immediately handed out pay to the "Secretary Jin" cast members, bringing laughter to the set.

Satisfied, Lee Seo-jin remarked, "I hope we keep using this system going forward." He then revealed that he gave 50,000 won out of 300,000 won to subcontractor Kim Kwang-gyu.

"That hyung already made over 100,000 won from a lottery ticket, so he's fine," Lee added, explaining that a lottery ticket he scratched on behalf of Cha yielded an extra income of over 100,000 won, sparking more laughter.

Toward the end of the broadcast, a preview showed a transformed Seo In-young appearing as the next "My Star," raising anticipation for the upcoming episode.

(Photo courtesy of SBS News & Entertainment)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.