Park Ji-hyun returns to Shanghai 20 years later on 'I Live Alone'

Park Ji-hyun stepped off a plane in Shanghai for the first time in 20 years on the July 31 episode of MBC's Na Honja Sanda (I Live Alone).

His parents had moved there when his father was in his early 40s and his mother in her late 30s. They ran an accessory shop, a Korean snack restaurant, and a Korean restaurant. Walking the city again, Park said: "My father was in his early 40s and my mother was in her late 30s when they took on a new challenge in China. I don't think I could have done that."

He found a street stall selling jianbing, the Chinese crepe from his childhood. His rule: it has to be on the street, made fresh right in front of you. One bite and he nodded. "It really feels like I came to China."

Later he met a university friend at a restaurant overlooking the Shanghai skyline. The friend was preparing for a doctoral program. When fellow cast members joked about a local matchmaking market, Park's face went flat. "Would I have gone all the way to China to find a wife?"

On the flight home, he reflected: "If the me from 20 years ago appeared in front of me, I would have been moved. Everything good and bad are all memories."

Park Ji-hyun performs 2026 SHOWMANSHIP SEASON 2 — Seoul Encore on August 29 and 30 in Seoul.