Park Hye-ryeong

Park Hye-ryeong (born in Seoul, 1974) is a South Korean documentary film director, producer and entertainment executive.

Her notable works include collaborations with culinary researcher Lim Ji-ho on projects such as "Human Theater" (KBS 2006), "Wandering Gourmet" (SBS 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013), and "How to Eat Well and Live Well" (SBS 2014–2016), as well as the feature-length documentary film "The Wandering Chef" (2020).

Park Hye-ryeong started her directing career at Hubnet.

She directed "VJ Commando" and the pilot program "Youth" for KBS2.

Later, she was recruited by CEO Lee Dong-seok to work as a director at his production company called Leespro, which provided outsourced production services for KBS2.

At Leespro, she served as one of the directors for the popular KBS show called "KBS Field Report Zone 3," and later for "Human Theater."

It was during the filming of an episode titled "Breaking the Chef's Poison" for "Human Theater" that Park first met culinary researcher Lim Ji-ho.

She currently serves as the CEO of Hayanso Entertainment, a company she established in 2008.

Park Hye-ryeong has produced over 40 documentaries on terrestrial broadcasting for 18 years.

After Leespro closed down in 2008, Park decided to become an independent.

Instead of working for another company, she desired the freedom to produce her own work.

In that same year, she established Hayanso Entertainment.

The name was given to her by her acquaintance, Pianist Lim Dong-chang, and it signifies living with sincerity and integrity, like a white cow.

Hayanso Entertainment's debut project was "SBS Special - Wandering Gourmet."

The show features culinary researcher Lim Ji-ho, embarking on another culinary journey across the country in search of the finest ingredients.

In 2008, Park proposed the idea to SBS.

Initially, it was planned as a two-part series.

However, due to the positive response received after the first episode, it was extended into a full series consisting of a total of 7 episodes, with 2 to 3 episodes airing each year.

The first SBS special Wandering Gourmet premiered in spring 2009, and achieved a viewership rating of 9.1% (TNS Media Korea).

The second episode aired in August of the same year takes place in Jeju, followed by the third episode in Baekdu Mountain.

The journey continues to Kyoto in subsequent episodes.

Park, along with Min In-sik, the CP (Chief Producer) of SBS's Culture Bureau, created SBS's "How to Eat Well and Live Well."

They were joined by Kwon Hyeon-jeong, the writer of "Human Theater."

Kim Hye-soo and Lee Hwi-jae hosted the program as a Lunar New Year special pilot in February 2012.

It became a regular program in 2014, as a replacement of "How to Eat Well and Live Well as a Star," and was hosted by culinary researcher Lim Ji-ho and comedian Lee Young-ja.

The show aired on Sunday morning and offers a unique concept, featuring top actors such as Kim Hye-soo, Hwang Jung-min, Lee Sun-kyun, and Song Yoon-ah embarking on a healing trip.

The filming process for the show lasts for two days and one night, but the overall production takes two weeks.

After the meeting, the team visits the chosen travel destination in advance to make preparations.

If the items for the trip are different from what they expected, they don't change the destination but make adjustments to the available choices.

Once filming is complete, the process of reviewing the footage, adding subtitles, and incorporating music begins.

Around 35 to 40 people are involved in the production, and the busy process continues without a break every week.

The show's 75-minute broadcast is successful because it provides a sense of "healing" to viewers.

Park acknowledges that the process can be tiring and challenging, but the cast members, including Lim Ji-ho, find solace by spending time with the production team and enjoying food on set.

The support and gratitude from viewers also serve as a source of strength for the team.

Park emphasizes that the main driving force behind the production is the hope that the show brings joy to its audience.

Park received critical acclaim for her work and was awarded the Excellence Prize at the 8th Korea Independent PD Awards ceremony, organized by the Korea Independent PD Association.

The ceremony was held in Yeouido, Seoul.

"Kim Hye-soo's Refugee Diary" was a documentary that aired on KBS1 in September 2017.

Directed by Park Hye-ryeong, Jang Hyun-ho, and Lee Byung-han, with the script written by Kwon Hyeon-jeong.

The documentary followed Kim Hye-soo's visits to refugees who had survived near-death experiences in the Mediterranean.