In the episode of 'Hangout with Yoo' aired on March 1, Yoo Jae-suk cut down some edible wild roots that Ha Ha and Joo Woo-jae were fondly trying to dig up, leading to a spontaneous, bare-faced apology that brought laughter.

The episode of MBC's 'Hangout with Yoo' aired on March 1, directed by Kim Jin-yong, Lee Ju-won, Wang Jong-seok, Ahn Ji-sun, and Bang Seong-su, featuring the segment 'Hunting Edible Wild Roots to Wake Up from Winter Sleep,' depicted the members digging for wild roots at Mt. Gombaeryeong in Inje, Gangwon Province.

The key indicator measuring the channel's competitiveness and topic popularity for the episode of 'Hangout with Yoo' aired that day recorded a 2.5% viewership rating among those aged 20 to 49, achieving the top spot for Saturday entertainment shows. The viewership rating in the metropolitan area was 4.4%. The highest one-minute viewership peaked as the members feasted on a delicious restorative meal after battling with the wild roots. While enjoying the feast made from the roots they had dug up and homemade tofu, along with a refreshing dongchimi, the rating soared to 6.3%. (Nielsen Korea, metropolitan area basis)

The members, now beginner wild root diggers, began their hunt with an elderly expert. Climbing the snow-covered mountains was no easy task. Although they discovered a site for the wild roots, the ground was frozen solid. When Yoo Jae-suk asked, 'Shouldn't we bring a drill?' the elder replied, 'Go and get it,' which made everyone burst into laughter. As the elder struggled to dig in the hard soil, he easily gave up, saying, 'I'll dig it in spring, so go somewhere else!' Joo Woo-jae raised suspicions about the character of the elder by asking, 'Are you an actor, by any chance?'

The embarrassed elder, like 'The Man from Nowhere,' dug frantically until he finally found the wild roots. Yoo Jae-suk, Ha Ha, and Joo Woo-jae took turns using the pickaxe. When Ha Ha remarked, 'I smell wild roots,' Yoo Jae-suk, feeling impatient, insisted that he would dig. Meanwhile, Lee I-kyung and Kim Seok-hoon were engaged in another wild root digging survival game elsewhere. Eventually, the first one to dig up a wild root was Lee I-kyung, who exclaimed, 'Am I the first to find a wild root? I saw a wild root!'

Yoo Jae-suk, who came to borrow a pickaxe, ended up tasting the first wild root. When Yoo Jae-suk hesitated at the sight of the dirt-covered wild root, the elder commented, 'Dirt is better than eating burnt pork!' and wiped the dirt off of the root with his glove before handing it to him. Persuaded, Yoo Jae-suk took a bite but immediately spat it out, saying, 'I can't eat this. It's all dirt,' with a grimace. The elder reassured him, saying, 'You won't die from it. Dirt is medicine,' which drew laughter.

After eating the dirt-covered wild root, Yoo Jae-suk returned to the spot where Ha Ha and Joo Woo-jae were carefully digging and accidentally caused a major mishap by cutting the wild root stem. An enraged Ha Ha scolded Yoo Jae-suk, who, feeling sheepish, took off his glasses and apologized, saying, 'I'm sorry.' Kim Seok-hoon, who claimed to have never gotten his hands dirty, successfully dug up a big wild root after a struggle. Comparing himself to Yoo Jae-suk, he boasted, 'I'm different from this country bumpkin from Gangbuk.'

After their mountain climbing activities, Yoo Jae-suk and Ha Ha went to a convenience store to buy snacks for the village elders, but unable to resist their hunger, they hurriedly tore open chocolate bars to replenish their energy. A restorative meal was prepared to wake the village from its winter slumber, featuring Gombaeryeong-style roasted wild roots, stir-fried wild roots with pork, samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), and saengtaetang (fresh fish stew) with homemade tofu made by Bak Jin-joo and Mi-joo, among others. The members savored the rare winter wild roots they had personally dug up, relishing the sweet taste of reward after their hard work.

Meanwhile, the preview for the next episode showed the members filming the legendary show 'Return of the Conscience Refrigerator' with 'entertainment grandmaster' Lee Kyung-kyu, heightening anticipation. The scene of Joo Woo-jae, who recently attracted attention for being listed on the 'blacklist of entertainment,' facing Lee Kyung-kyu was particularly noteworthy.

[Photo] Captured from the broadcast of MBC's 'Hangout with Yoo'

[OSEN = Reporter Kang Seo-jeong]