Running Man’s Yoo Jae-suk: Korea’s ‘National MC’ striking out with Lee Hyori and Rain in K-pop supergroup SSAK3
After almost 30 years in the spotlight he may not be a household name outside of South Korea – yet – but Yoo has performed with Psy, trained with Exo and formed a supergroup with Lee Hyori and Rain, so expect that to change quick
Beyond K-pop and K-drama, the next big global trend looks likely to be the distinct pleasures of Korea’s television variety show culture. One of the scene’s biggest stars there is surely Yoo Jae-suk. Get to know more about this true jack of all trades who’s celebrating his 47th birthday this August 14.
He’s one of Hallyu’s most popular celebrities
Recently, he won the Baeksang best male entertainer award and he’s almost always the top billed star in the monthly variety rankings by the Korean Business Research Institute. He currently stars in one of the longest running variety shows, Running Man, which is one of the reasons why he’s internationally famous.
Dubbed the “national MC” of Korea, Yoo has led shows for all three of Korea’s biggest TV networks – SBS, KBS and MBC – since his debut in 1991.
His alter-ego is Yoo San-seul
In 2019, he debuted as a trot singer, releasing an EP record called “Bbong For Yoo” with three upbeat tracks. Being well-loved by all ages, he even collaborated with Pink Fong for a special Korean version of nursery rhyme Baby Shark.
Getting acclaim for his music was the icing on the cake. Yoo bagged the best male rookie prize at the 2019 MBC Entertainment Awards. Who knew he'd get his first ever rookie award after 29 years in the entertainment industry?
He’s the king of collaborations