Hangout with Yoo

MBC's flagship variety program, a Korean variety show centered on Yoo Jae-suk that presents various projects and characters.

Hangout with Yoo (놀면 뭐하니?)

Overview

Hangout with Yoo is a leading South Korean variety program airing on MBC, first broadcast on July 27, 2019. It is a "multi-variety" format program centered on entertainer Yoo Jae-suk, attempting a new concept and project in each episode. Planned by PD Kim Tae-ho, the program has delivered fresh laughter and emotion to viewers by utilizing Yoo Jae-suk's impromptu ideas and various characters without a fixed format. In its early days, it drew attention by starting with Yoo Jae-suk holding a "relay camera" and passing the camera on to viewers.

Main Content

Program Planning Intent and Characteristics

Hangout with Yoo began from the question, "What does Yoo Jae-suk do in his leisure time?" Its characteristic is breaking away from standardized variety formats, communicating with viewers, and incorporating Yoo Jae-suk's own diverse talents and hobbies into the program. The content changes by season or project, and a single character or music project may be extended long-term depending on viewer response.

Representative Projects and Characters

The program has created several popular projects.

Relay Camera: The project that became the starting point of the first broadcast, in which Yoo Jae-suk holds a camera, hands it to citizens, and records daily life.
Yoo San-seul: A character in which Yoo Jae-suk transformed into a trot singer, gaining huge popularity by releasing songs such as "Hapjeong Station Exit 5."
SSAK3: A mixed group formed in the summer of 2020 by Yoo Jae-suk (Yoo Doo-rae-gon), Lee Hyori (Linda G), and Rain (Biryong), whose "Beach Again" was a mega hit.
Refund Sisters: A project group composed of Uhm Jung-hwa, Lee Hyori, Jessi, and Hwasa, heating up 2020 with the release of "DON'T TOUCH ME."
MSG Wannabe: A project group requested by actors such as Jung Ji-so, Lee Sang-yi, Kang Hye-jung, and Kim Jung-soo, sweeping music charts with "I Only Look at You."
WSG Wannabe: A female vocal group project formed in 2022 that drew great attention.
Acorn Festival and other various outdoor events and music festival content were also presented.

Main Cast

Yoo Jae-suk takes the central axis of the program, while Jung Jun-ha, Haha, Shin Bong-sun, Mijoo, Park Jin-joo, Lee Yi-kyung, and others appeared as regular members of Hangout with Yoo. Depending on the nature of the project, various guests and experts join to create a new combination each time.

Broadcast Characteristics and Achievements

This program is evaluated as having pioneered a new genre of "music born from variety" by repeatedly topping actual music charts through music projects. It also established itself as content that gave comfort and vitality to the people during the COVID-19 period, and it has been recognized for both artistic quality and popular appeal, including winning the grand prize at the MBC Entertainment Awards several times.

Latest Trends

From 2024 to 2025, Hangout with Yoo is seeking to reorganize the program through member changes and new projects. Even in the terrestrial variety environment where ratings competition has become fiercer than in past seasons, it maintains a steady viewer base with Yoo Jae-suk's stable hosting and fresh planning. Recently, in addition to music projects, experimental content crossing various genres such as sports, travel, cooking, and talk is being attempted, and clip distribution through YouTube and SNS is broadening contact with younger viewers. In addition, attempts to discover new project groups and characters after "WSG Wannabe" are continuing, and the content is evolving in a direction that emphasizes chemistry and variety sense among the cast. On the other hand, finding a balance between its identity as a long-running variety show and new fun is cited as a future task.