(K)POPROCK | HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOO JAE-SUK!
Added 2025-08-16 13:57:34 +0000 UTC
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In Korean entertainment, there is an unspoken hierarchy—actors > idols > comedians—but Yoo Jae-suk transcends all of it. Even the most arrogant actors cannot treat him carelessly, because he is the most beloved entertainer in the nation. From 2018 to 2023, he ranked No. 1 every year in surveys of “Koreans’ Favorite Entertainers,” and in nearly every other year as well, proving his immense popularity and recognition. In Korea, there’s even a joke that there are three gods: “Yoo-neu-nim” (God Yoo Jae-suk), “Yeon-neu-nim” (Sports star Kim Yuna), and “Chi-neu-nim” (fried chicken). While many overseas fans came to know him through *Running Man*, his most representative program was actually *Infinite Challenge*, often referred to as the quintessential Korean variety show. It’s a variety show that takes on different challenges—for example, sometimes they play chase games like Running Man, other times they work on music production projects, and they constantly attempt various challenges. HaHa was also a fixed cast member of this program, where he built a close friendship with Yoo Jae-suk, and later they began *Running Man* together. In fact, many of the concepts seen in idol variety shows today are often homages to episodes from *Infinite Challenge*. Here are some recommended episodes of *Infinite Challenge*. - ep299(20121013) A game that comedically reinterprets the traditional Korean folktale The Sun and the Moon. - ep391(140809) A survival game set in the Joseon Dynasty, where players must protect the ice. - ep223(101106) A midnight shootout in Seoul. - ep316(130209) Number Baseball Game (It’s like Bulls and Cows) - ep278(111203) This episode recreates the games that children used to play in the early 1980s, when member Park Myung-soo was 12 years old. - ep356(131116) In the past, during the Joseon Dynasty, there was a practice called gwan-sang, where people judged a person’s character based on their facial features (similar to how, in the West, people associate personality with zodiac signs). Using this as a theme, the members play a survival game where they try to guess each other’s social status in the Joseon era. If you’re curious about the custom of gwan-sang, I recommend the film The Face Reader. there's main character of squid game trailer: https://youtu.be/pSFrsJO-K7w?si=LzvXXnD0mV9xiO3q
key
2025-08-16 18:21:02 +0000 UTC2012 - SBS GRAND AWARD 2013 - BAEKSANG GRAND AWARD 2014 - KBS, MBC GRAND AWARD 2015 - SBS GRAND AWARD 2016 - MBC GRAND AWARD 2019 - SBS GRAND AWARD 2020 - MBC GRAND AWARD 2021 - MBC GRAND AWARD 2022 - SBS GRAND AWARD 2024 - SBS GRAND AWARD HE'S... LEGEND
key
2025-08-16 17:49:55 +0000 UTC
