Iconic Channel 8 news presenter Chun Guek Lay (曾月丽) has retired from the media industry.

A familiar face to many generations of Channel 8 viewers, Chun joined the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation as a news presenter in 1989.

She was a long-time host for current affairs series "Focus", which goes in-depth into international news.

After hosting "Focus" for 17 years, Chun became a producer for "Tuesday Report", a current affairs series that is more profile-driven.

Reflections

In an interview with 8world, Chun said that hosting "Focus" gave her the opportunity to develop herself as a media professional holistically as she picked up skills in writing, filming, editing and interviewing.

She also valued the opportunity to speak to academics from different countries, and these interactions were thought provoking and had influenced how she makes judgements.

However, Chun grew a liking for "Tuesday Report" over the years too.

Producing "Tuesday Report" required her to delve into human emotions and understand the circumstances that shape her profiles, she told 8world. She added that the series had enriched her life.

She also found it satisfying to produce "Tuesday Report" as it allows future generations to understand the current generation.

Late Lee Kuan Yew left a deep impression

Chun revealed that Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew left a deep impression on her.

She conducted her interview with the late Lee in Mandarin on the Speak Mandarin Campaign.

Although Lee looked "stern" from afar, she found Lee to be quite a calming presence.

Lee asked about Chun personally, including enquiring about the number of children she had.

Retirement plans

Chun told 8world that she hopes to retire with her husband and enjoy life as a couple.

The couple hopes to visit different countries, try dishes that they have not tried and enjoy the scenery that they have not seen. The first country that they are visiting is Korea.

The report by 8world also revealed that she has three sons — two of them have gotten married while the youngest son is still studying.

You can watch the full interview here:

Top image from anollec3/YouTube and 8world/YouTube.