Yoo Jae Suk Profile

 
 Yoo Jae-suk (Hangul: 유재석; or spelled Yu Jae-suk; born on August 14, 1972), is a South Korean comedian and television comedy show host. Nicknamed the "MC of the nation" (국민 MC), a vote by South Korean "netizens" proclaimed him the most popular Korean comedian for five consecutive years beginning (2004-2008). He has hosted several variety television shows in South Korea, including the hugely popular program Infinite Challenge. Nicknamed "The Grasshopper", due to early appearances dressed as a grasshopper, he is now known for his quick wit and appeal across a wide range of demographics. He has established himself as one of Korea's top comedians and TV personalities.



Biography

Yoo Jae-suk was born as the eldest child out of three (he has two younger sisters) on August 14, 1972 in Seoul, South Korea. Yoo Jae-suk attended the Seoul Institute of the Arts, but was unable to graduate due to his busy schedule as an up-and-coming comedian.
His television debut was on the KBS Comedian Festival (for college students) in 1991, performing a parody of a commercial with Choi Seung-gyung (Hangul: 최승경). In Infinity Challenge, his dancing to a cover of the song "Step by Step" by New Kids on the Block was one of his early memorable moments. In 2002, after nine hard years as a relatively unknown comedian, he hosted a program called Live and Enjoy Together (Dong-guh-dong-lak), thanks to a recommendation by Choi Jin-sil. The program became instantly popular, and since then, Yoo began to host many other variety programs. His potential was fully realized when he co-hosted a program called The Crash of MCs (MC 대격돌 – 공포의 쿵쿵따) with Kang Ho-dong, Lee Hui-jae and Kim Han-seok.
His first Grand Prix was for a program called Happy Together Friends. The show's concept was for TV personalities to try and find their school friends (five of them) out of many (false friends) who are sitting behind a desk. The show was intended to bring back nostalgic memories about one's days in school, and the show became very popular. This Grand Prix was especially memorable, not just because it was Yoo's first, but because it was from the broadcasting station where he made his debut.
He hosted the show X-Man, which soon grew to be one of the most popular and most viewed shows in Korea. During that time, he became increasingly more popular and many programs began to nickname Yoo as the "MC of the Nation." However, after a few years, the program was canceled due to falling ratings as well as an absence of new and innovative ideas. Yoo went on to host various replacement shows, New X-Man, Old TV (in which guests would re-enact classic TV serials), and Haja! Go! (Let's Do It) forSBS, which were all shortly canceled due to low ratings on Sunday evenings. However, X-Man has found success in international syndication.
Yoo is a part of the cast of the top-rated comedy variety program Muhan Dojeon (무한도전), as the host-in-chief since 2005. Initially a six-member cast, Haha left the program to fulfill his mandatory military service and was replaced by Shinhwa's Junjin. The program wasn't popular when it first aired, but by the time Season 3 aired in 2006, the concept and format of "variety & reality program" became very popular, and Infinite Challenge became the forerunner of many programs that followed with the same or similar format. Infinite Challenge is seen as Yoo's favorite and best program as he met his wife, Na Gyoung-eun (나경은), during season 2, and with the rising popularity of the show and it's significant effect on the general public, Yoo was able to gain even more popularity. He ended up winning a total of three Grand Prix's (2006, 2007 and 2009) with the program.[1]
Yoo also co-hosts Come to Play (놀러와) with Kim Won-Hee and Happy Together Season 3 (해피 투게더 3) with Park Myung-Soo, Park Mi-Seon and Shin Bong-Seon. Yoo hosted these talk shows for a long period of time (both over 5 years), and the ratings have been consistently high throughout his tenure. Yoo tries his best to differentiate his hosting styles, both based on who his guests are and on their current situation.
After those replacement shows on SBS, on June 15, 2008, Yoo, along with Lee Hyori, Yoon Jong-Shin, Kim Soo-ro, Lee Chun-Hee,Kang Dae-sung, Park Ye-jin and Kim Jong-kook (since episode 19) are the hosts and family members of Family Outing (Korean:패밀리가 떴다), part of SBS's Good Sunday lineup. Since then, Family Outing has become one of the top-rated shows in Korea, consistently achieving the highest ratings at the Sunday mid-afternoon time-slot (especially during the first and second quarters of 2009)[2] However, with various problems and scandals regarding the program, and by the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010, a rumor of Yoo not continuing his contract with Family Outing was raised. By the time of his contract expiration, Family Outing rating wasn't the same as that of early 2009, and Season 1 was brought to an end (on 2010.02.14 with Family Awards).
On July 6, 2008, Yoo Jae-seok married MBC announcer Na Gyoung-eun (나경은) who has also worked with him on the showInfinite Challenge. Yoo and his wife welcomed their first child, a son, on May 1, 2010.[3] He is a Buddhist.[4] Since July 11, 2010, he has hosted a variety show called Running Man together with Ji Suk-jin, Kim Jong-kook, Kang Hee-gun/Gary (LeeSsang), Ha Dong-hoon, Song Ji-hyo, Lee Kwang-soo and Song Joong-ki (who has since left the show as of episode 41 to focus on his acting career).
In 2012, Yoo Jae-Seok appeared in the music video for PSY's hit single "Gangnam Style." [5]

Nicknames

  • Grasshopper (메뚜기)
  • Nation's Master of Ceremony (국민 MC)
  • Class-President Yoo (유반장)
  • Jive Yoo
  • Samba Yoo
  • Deliquent Yoo (날유)
  • Dumb (and Dumber) (Family Outing)
  • C-Dragon (Family Outing)
  • Hubby Yoo (유 서방)
  • Yooruce Willis (Hangul: 유르스 윌리스; spoof for Bruce Willis) (Running Man)
  • Yoo Hyuk (Running Man)
  • Yoomes Bond (Running Man)
  • Seuk T.O.P (Family Outing)
  • Yoobocop
  • Detective Yoo
  • Rapper Yoo (Family Outing)
  • National Grasshopper
  • Handsome Boy (Family Outing)


On Infinite Challenge

On Infinite Challenge as the host-in-chief, he leads all Infinite Challenge members to reach the goal of each episode. Due to his leadership presented to this program, a new kind of cult has been created called "Infinite Jae-seok Cult" (Korean: 무한재석교)[6]and he becomes a spiritual leader of this false-religion. The official followers are Ha Ha and No Hongchul (from the episode of Season 3, episode 61), and the official motto is "I shall make you laugh" (내가 너희를 웃기게 하리라).
Also during the New Zealand series, he got caught smuggling pornographic videos during the baggage check, which was hidden by the second host in charge: Park Myung-Soo. This sketch was well received by the Korean netizens and Jae-seok became "Ero Jae-seok". Even now, over seventy episodes later, he still is made fun of for watching pornographic videos which he hadn't watched.
He has been called "Class-president Yoo" (유 반장) for so many episodes of Muhan Dojun, but since "Palace Millionaire" special (Slumdog Millionaire parody, where Infinite Challenge members tour old palaces in Seoul), Yoo has been nicknamed Delinquent Yoo (날 유), for having meetings with girls at these palaces back when he was a high school student. His most recent nickname has been "An Animal Racer" (짐승 레이서), "A Genius Racer" (천재 레이서), and "Yoomacher" (유 마허), thanks to his excellent driving skills shown during Infinite Challenge Formula One (F1) Special.

[edit]On Family Outing

The vital power of the instant success of Family Outing has been the characters' relationships. Two of the most successful character pairings has been "The Nation's siblings" (국민 남매) with Lee Hyo-ri and "Dumb and Dumber" with Dae-sung of Big Bang. Yoo has been the driving force of those two character relationships, as program's host-in-chief and regular member of the family.[7]

[edit]On Running Man

Although he is considered one of the weak ones, Yoo is always portrayed as the rival of Kim Jong Kook. He often calls himself "Yooruce Willis" (유르스 윌리스) when being chased by Kim "Sparta" Kook but he often gets caught in the end. He is also sometimes labelled as the "Icon of Betrayal" because of one episode (38) wherein he has to lie to and eliminate all his teammates. However, in later episodes, he became one of the top three strongest members (the others are Kim Jong-kook & Song Ji-hyo) of Running Man who could potentially pose a threat to win any of the missions.

[edit]On TV talk shows

As the main host of two talk shows (Come to Play and Happy Together Season 3), Yoo tries to differentiate his hosting (MC-ing) styles. In Come to Play, he focuses more on guests' episodes, rather than his own (This can be violated when his close friends appear on the show). His remarks and reactions flow even if the guest is new on any kind of variety programs, thus makes Come to Play very heartwarming to watch. Happy Together Season 3 is little bit different in a sense that the setting is much more intimate (in a sauna locker room), and Yoo's ad-libs shine brilliantly.

Television host

List of present programs
List of former programs
  • SBS: Good Sunday – Family Outing (일요일이 좋다 – 패밀리가 떴다 2008.6.15 ~ 2010.2.14) Host
  • SBS: Good Sunday – Miracle Contestant (일요일이 좋다 – 기적의 승부사 2007.11.11 ~ 2008.2.3)
  • SBS: Good Sunday – Old TV (일요일이 좋다 – 옛날TV, 2007.6.17 ~ 2007.11.04) Host-in-chief
  • SBS: Good Sunday – Haja Go! (Let's Do It!) (일요일이 좋다 – 하자고! 2007.4.15 ~ 2007.6.10) Host-in-chief
  • SBS: Yoo Jae-seok's Truth Game (유재석의 진실 게임 2005 ~ 2007) Host
  • SBS: Real Situation Saturday/Good Sunday – X-Man (실제상황! 토요일/일요일이 좋다 – X맨 2003.11.8 ~ 2006.10.29) Host-in-chief
  • KBS2: Happy Together Friends (해피 투게더 프렌즈 2005.5.5 ~ 2007.6.21) Co-Host
  • SBS: Good Sunday – New X-Man (일요일이 좋다 – 뉴 X맨 2006.11.5 ~ 2007.4.8) Host-in-chief
  • KBS2: Happy Together – Tray Singing Room (Karaoke) (해피 투게더 – 쟁반 노래방 2004 ~ 2005) Co-Host
  • KBS: Dangerous Invitation (위험한 초대 2003) Co-Host
  • MBC: ! Exclamation Mark – Read a Book! Book! Book! (!느낌표 – 책!책!책을 읽읍시다!) Co-Host
  • KBS2: Super TV Enjoy Sunday – Host Big Match (슈퍼TV 일요일은 즐거워 – MC 대격돌) Co-Host
  • MBC: Achievable Saturday – Star Survival Donggeodongrak (Live and Fun Together) (목표달성 토요일 – 스타 서바이벌 동거동락 2000–2001) Host

[edit]Television stand-up comedian

  • 2001 Open Gag Concert
  • 2002 Jubilee Gag Concert
  • 2002–03 G-Family Gag Concert
  • 2004 Gag Family Concert

[edit]Television actor

  • 2000–01 KBS Great Friends
  • 2008 MBC Lee-San – cameo
  • 2009 MBC The Queen of Assistance – interviewee/new employee of Queens Food (cameo)

[edit]Film actor

[edit]Music videos actor

  • 2004 Shinnago (신나고) – "Cause' You're Pretty" (이쁘니까)
  • 2005 Kang Ho-Dong's carol album Oh Happy Day – "Look Out the Window"
  • 2009 Future Liger (project group w/ Tiger JK, Tasha) – "Let's Dance"
  • 2012 Sagging Snail (처진 달팽이) - "Room Nallari" (방구석 날라리)
  • 2012 PSY (싸이) - Gangnam Style (강남스타일)

Source: Wikipedia.org

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