'Radio Star' featured Lee Young-man, Choiza, Lee Kuk-joo, and Park Eun-young, who shared their culinary philosophies and real-life mukbang survival stories, tantalizing viewers' taste buds and evoking empathy. True food talk unfolded, filled with laughter and philosophy.
The MBC program 'Radio Star,' aired on the 9th (planned by Kang Young-sun and directed by Kim Myung-yeop, Hwang Yoon-sang, and Byun Da-hee), featured 'Slurp! Foodie Road,' where Lee Young-man, Choiza, Lee Kuk-joo, and Park Eun-young participated, showcasing their distinctive mukbang philosophies and real-life foodie talks, resonating with viewers on Wednesday nights.
On the 10th, Nielsen Korea reported that the previous day's 'Radio Star' recorded the highest viewership rating in its time slot, maintaining its position as the top entertainment program on Wednesdays. The 'best moment' was when Lee Kuk-joo served a spontaneous 'vegetable salad,' with Lee Young-man rating it as 'delicious,' marking a peak rating of 3.5% based on households in the metropolitan area.
Comic master Lee Young-man revealed his true 'foodie' charisma and philosophy during the broadcast. From behind-the-scenes stories of filming 'Baekban Gihang' to contract agreements for movies adapted from comics, he captivated the attention of the MCs and viewers with honest stories from his 52 years as a cartoonist.
In particular, Lee Young-man drew attention by unveiling behind-the-scenes details about the 'Tazza' movie series. He stated, 'After the first Tazza, I signed running guarantee contracts for parts 2, 3, and 4. I am the first original author to do so,' adding, 'I hope this fourth part is successful so that it continues like the 007 series.' Even to Kim Gu-ra's joke about the actors doing the hard work while the money goes elsewhere, he calmly replied, 'That's why I'm living long,' drawing laughter.
He praised Son Suk-ku's drawing skills, who previously appeared on 'Baekban Gihang,' stating, 'He's the best among the people I've seen so far.' He mentioned, 'When he said he draws well in front of me, I asked him to draw it directly. I heard he went to art school,' adding, 'He's really a kind person. I later checked out the theater stage.'
The most talked-about moment of the broadcast was Lee Mal-nyun's cool evaluation. Lee Young-man said, 'Lee Mal-nyun did well at first but has gradually regressed,' asserting, 'Even Picasso was realistic in the beginning but moved towards abstraction. There might be no room for Lee Mal-nyun to change like that.' He then expressed, 'I'm angry that someone I liked seems to have lost their way,' leaving a video message with 'Let's have a drink' to show his sincerity.
Lee Young-man also shared plans for his upcoming work, saying, 'I have a project I've been preparing for five years. I plan to serialize it anonymously on social media, and I won't receive any payment; I'll draw it alone without any disciples,' stating he'll also challenge himself with a new style. It was a moment that shone with passion and philosophy, not just as a foodie but as a creator.
Dynamic Duo's Choiza showed sincerity in his culinary philosophy through the YouTube content 'Choiza Road,' embodying the image of 'the hip-hop Lee Young-man.' During the broadcast, he openly shared his principles, rejecting a 300 million won offer, the rivalry with Sung Si-kyung, and his philosophy on food sponsorship.
Choiza recounted an experience where he received a 300 million won proposal from a meat restaurant but declined, stating, 'I don't want to cause trouble to a restaurant I truly love and cherish.' He noted that he has never accepted any food sponsorship, although drinks and alcohol are possible. His principle of keeping authenticity in food resonated with many.
Choiza also revealed the rivalry in mukbang with singer Sung Si-kyung, stating, 'I tried hard to recruit a buckwheat noodle restaurant, but it featured first on Sung Si-kyung's program.' He expressed bitterness, saying, 'I couldn't eat buckwheat noodles for two months because I was so upset,' adding that 'Sung Si-kyung felt like he stole the holy land I discovered,' evoking sincere laughter.
Choiza introduced a list of hidden gems discovered while touring the nation, stating, 'Local pigs know the real delicious places.' He shared unique judgment criteria, advising caution about eateries that provide too much service, revealing his unique know-how. He noted, 'I've tried combinations of sundae with red wine, makgeolli with whiskey, and even bokmaek,' catching attention with his culinary combinations.
On that day, Choiza's sincere confession about culinary content resonated with the panelists, proving once again why 'Choiza Road' has garnered so much fan support.
Lee Kuk-joo recently drew attention by revealing her transformation into a 'real survival foodie,' actively producing content between Korea and Japan. She shared her cheerful stories from clarifying the rumor of moving to Tokyo, living in a studio room costing 1.3 million won per month, to her reality full of hardship.
She explained, 'Work has decreased a lot in Korea, and since I have no fixed gigs, I found a place in Japan,' noting, 'I started it to save on hotel costs, and but the reaction to the videos was good, so I even made it to Ingye-dong.' She added that she now stays in Japan for about ten days a month, residing in a small 9-pyeong studio.
'I gave up my bed and sleep on the sofa, and the sink is so small that it barely fits a rice bowl,' she humorously transformed her uncomfortable living environment into laughter. She elaborated, 'I sold my camper van to save on living expenses, cut off tutoring, and am currently studying Japanese with ChatGPT,' shared her realistic survival story.
She also revealed that she was previously a landlord of the Dynamic Duo's company building. Choiza mentioned, 'Our studio was on the second floor of Kuk-joo's building,' revealing their connection, while Lee Kuk-joo candidly shared her asset management style, stating, 'I spend money, so when I have it, I keep it at home,' drawing laughter.
On this broadcast, chef Park Eun-young discussed various topics, from the behind-the-scenes stories with her identical twin sister to the parallel theory involving chef Jeong Ji-sun, and clarifications about her romantic connection with Lee Yi-kyung.
Park Eun-young remarked, 'My twin sister pretends to be me while I'm in Hong Kong,' adding, 'When someone asks to take a picture, she says, 'I'm not chef Park Eun-young,' yet agrees to pose. I think she has celebrity syndrome.' When a photo of her alongside her sister was shown, Kim Gu-ra commented, 'Your sister is prettier,' to which Park Eun-young replied, 'She made an effort to look pretty that day,' drawing laughter.
Regarding her connection with chef Jeong Ji-sun, she stated, 'We attended the same university, worked at the same place, studied under the same mentor, and we always meet in cooking competition programs.' She brought up their competition on 'Culinary Class Wars,' noting, 'We seem destined to cross paths endlessly in every survival program,' evoking laughter at the parallel theory.
She candidly discussed her relationship with Lee Yi-kyung, which had become a hot topic lately in entertainment. Park Eun-young stated, 'I called him my ideal type, but the people around me took it too far, which became burdensome.' She clarified, 'It might have looked like we were 'seeing each other,' but it wasn't actually that kind of relationship.' When asked by Kim Gu-ra if her sister claimed she was Lee Yi-kyung's girlfriend while she was in Hong Kong, she responded, 'My sister just smiled and brushed it off.'
Finally, she stated, 'I'm currently active in Hong Kong but plan to start working in Korea soon,' expressing, 'I will be more active than my sister now,' raising expectations. Park Eun-young's performance showcased both her sense of humor and seriousness as a chef, leaving a strong impression.
Meanwhile, the broadcast on the 16th will feature Jang Geun-seok, Lee Hong-ki, Subin (TXT), and Kim Shin-young, themed 'World Class – You can only see me~.'
[Photo] MBC
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