Yoo Jae-suk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yoo Jae-suk
Yoo in 2017
Born	(1972-08-14) 14 August 1972 (age 52) Suyu-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Education	Seoul Institute of the Arts
Years active	1991–present
Agent	Antenna
Spouse(s)	Na Kyung-eun [ko] ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	2
Comedy career
Medium	Stand-up television
Genres	Observational sketch wit parody slapstick
Musical career
Also known as	Yoo San-seul U-Doragon Jimmy Yoo
Genres	Trot
Instruments	Vocals
Korean name
Hangul	유재석
Hanja	劉在錫
Revised Romanization	Yu Jae-seok
McCune–Reischauer	Yu Chaesŏk
Signature

Yoo Jae-suk (Hangul: 유재석; born on August 14, 1972) is a famous South Korean comedian, TV host, and personality. He has hosted many popular TV shows in South Korea. Some of his well-known shows include Infinite Challenge, Running Man, Happy Together, and Hangout with Yoo. Yoo Jae-suk is known for his quick thinking and how much people of all ages like him. He is one of South Korea's top comedians and TV stars. He is also one of the most popular celebrities in the country.

Early Life and School Days

Yoo Jae-suk was born in Seoul on August 14, 1972. He is the oldest of three children. In 1991, he finished high school at Yongmoon High School in Seoul. That same year, he started studying acting at the Seoul Institute of the Arts.

His Career Journey

How His Career Started

Yoo Jae-suk first appeared on TV in 1991. It was during the KBS Comedian Festival for college students. He performed a funny skit with Choi Seung-gyung. An early memorable moment was when he danced to "Step by Step" by New Kids on the Block.

For nine years, he was not very well known. Then, in 2002, he got a chance to host the show Live and Enjoy Together. This happened thanks to a suggestion from actress Choi Jin-sil. He became more famous when he co-hosted The Crash of MCs. He worked with Kang Ho-dong, Lee Hwi-jae, and Kim Han-seok on this show. His first big award was for the talk show Happy Together Friends.

Becoming the "Nation's MC"

X-Man TV Show

Yoo Jae-suk later hosted the show X-Man. This show quickly became one of the most popular in South Korea. During this time, Yoo became even more famous. Many shows started calling him "the nation's MC." This means he was the most loved host in the country. He hosted other shows like New X-Man and Old TV. These shows were later canceled, but X-Man became popular in other countries. This helped Yoo gain fans worldwide.

Infinite Challenge Success

Yoo Jae-suk was a main part of the very popular comedy show Infinite Challenge. He was the head host since 2005 and one of the first members of the show.

At first, the show did not have high ratings. But it grew to be one of the most popular and important variety shows in Korea. People called Infinite Challenge the "national variety show." It inspired many other shows to use a similar style. From December 2, 2006, it was the top-rated show on Saturday evenings. Yoo showed his deep love for the show in an interview in 2012. He said his TV career was tied to Infinite Challenge. He felt it would be impossible to make another show like it.

Popular Talk Shows

Yoo also co-hosted Come to Play with Kim Won-hee. He also co-hosted Happy Together Season 3. Happy Together was one of Korea's longest-running talk shows. It always had high ratings.

Family Outing and Running Man

Yoo Jae-suk became the main host of Family Outing. This show was part of SBS's Good Sunday lineup. He worked with stars like Lee Hyori and Kim Jong-kook. They formed the "family" of the show. Family Outing became a top-rated show in Korea. It was very popular with fans of the Hallyu (Korean culture wave).

Since July 11, 2010, Yoo has hosted the action variety show Running Man. He works with Haha, Kim Jong-kook, Ji Suk-jin, Song Ji-hyo, Jeon So-min, and Yang Se-chan. Some original members like Gary, Lee Kwang-soo, and Song Joong-ki later left the show. Running Man started slowly but became very popular. It still has many international fans today.

After Infinite Challenge

Infinite Challenge, Yoo's biggest show, ended in March 2018. Some articles suggested Yoo was facing a career challenge. However, he still topped popularity charts. His new shows like Laborhood on Hire and You Quiz on the Block did well. They received good reviews but did not become as huge as Infinite Challenge.

Second Big Success: Hangout with Yoo

Hangout with Yoo was a highly anticipated new project. It brought together Yoo and director Kim Tae-ho, who were the main forces behind Infinite Challenge. At first, the show's ratings were low, which disappointed many fans.

After a few episodes, the show started a new project. Yoo learned to play a simple drum beat. This recording was then passed to different musicians. Each musician added their own music, creating a full song. With this project, the show's ratings and reviews began to improve.

As the show gained popularity, the media called it Yoo's second big success. He even debuted as a rookie trot singer named Yoo San-seul for another project on the show. Yoo released a three-song trot album called Bbong For Yoo.

Other Notable Shows

From 2015 to 2016, Yoo hosted Two Yoo Project Sugar Man with Yoo Hee-yeol. This show featured current artists remaking old hit songs. The show returned for second and third seasons with Yoo as host.

Yoo also hosted both seasons of Netflix's variety show, Busted!, from 2018 to 2021.

Guest Appearances and Music

In 2012, Yoo appeared in the music video for Psy's hit song "Gangnam Style". He played a funny disco dancer character. After this, Yoo became known worldwide as the "yellow suit guy." He also appeared in Psy's next song, "Gentleman".

In 2015, Yoo worked with JYP (Park Jin-young) on Infinite Challenge. On July 15, 2015, Yoo signed a contract with FNC Entertainment. He had been without an agency for about five years.

In 2016, Yoo worked with the K-pop group EXO on the song "Dancing King". This was part of a collaboration for Infinite Challenge. He even performed with EXO at their concert in Bangkok.

In 2020, through Hangout With Yoo, Yoo formed a summer music group called SSAK3 with Lee Hyo-ri and Rain. They released original songs like "Beach Again" and "Play That Summer." After SSAK3, Yoo worked with Lee Hyo-ri, Kim Jong-min, and Jung Jae-hyung on a project called "Refund Sisters."

On July 6, 2021, Yoo left FNC Entertainment. On July 14, it was announced he signed with Antenna. On December 13, 2021, Yoo was diagnosed with COVID-19. He recovered after home treatment and returned to his work on December 21, 2021.

Giving Back to the Community

Yoo Jae-suk is known for his generous donations. Since 2013, he has regularly given money to Briquette Bank. This helps people in need stay warm in winter. He has also donated to House of Sharing since 2014, supporting women who were victims of the Japanese military. By April 2018, his total donations to this cause were 260 million won.

In September 2018, Yoo donated 50 million won to help victims of heavy rain. In April 2019, he donated another 50 million won to help victims of the Gangwon forest fire. He also donated 100 million won each in 2019 and 2020 to the Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation. In August 2020, he gave 100 million won to help those affected by floods.

In April 2021, Yoo donated 50 million won to a youth portal, keeping a promise he made on You Quiz on the Block. In July 2021, he donated 50 million won to help underprivileged people during the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 7, 2022, he donated 100 million won to help victims of a large wildfire. In May 2022, he gave 50 million won for education and health programs for women and children from low-income families. In June 2022, he donated 15 million won for medical expenses for patients in difficult situations. On August 11, 2022, Yoo donated 100 million won to help those affected by the 2022 South Korean floods.

In the Media Spotlight

Yoo Jae-suk is often called "The Nation's MC." This is because he is widely liked by many different types of viewers. He has been ranked as the top comedian in South Korea for many years. He was number one in the Gallup poll from 2005 to 2009, and for eleven years in a row since 2012. He is one of the highest-paid TV personalities in Korea. He is also very popular for advertising products.

Yoo is known for his excellent public image. Other entertainers and Korean citizens often see him as a role model. He regularly donates to charities and takes part in good causes. Yoo is the first television host to have his own wax figure. It is shown at the Grevin Seoul Museum.

Personal Life

On July 6, 2008, Yoo Jae-suk married MBC announcer, Na Kyung-eun [ko]. She worked with him on the show Infinite Challenge. Yoo and his wife had their first child, a son named Yoo Ji-ho, on May 1, 2010. Their second child, a daughter named Yoo Na-eun, was born on October 19, 2018.

TV Shows

Yoo Jae-suk has been a part of many TV shows. Here are some of the shows he is currently on:

Music

Songs as a Lead Artist

Yoo Jae-suk has released songs as a main singer, sometimes under his stage names like Yoo San-seul.

Songs with Other Artists

Yoo Jae-suk has also worked with many other artists on songs.

As a Featured Artist

Yoo Jae-suk has also been featured on other artists' songs.

Awards and Nominations

Yoo Jae-suk has won many awards throughout his career for his work as a comedian and TV host.

See also

In Spanish: Yoo Jae-suk para niños