-"the person who opens the stage" juniors testified to his leadership - a relay of respect toward Yu Jae-seok
Group Shinhwa's Kim Dong Wan relayed an anecdote about broadcaster Yu Jae-seok and expressed deep respect. Added to this was Dex's sincere acceptance speech, drawing renewed attention to juniors' trust and affection for Yu Jae-seok.
Kim Dong Wan recalled a past Running Man recording on the 30th through his social media. He said "it was quite a cold day, and right after the opening there was a situation where we were asked to wrestle in the mud" and remembered, "everyone had gone to the shop since dawn and was fully dressed up, so for a moment there was an atmosphere of 'is this right?'."
He continued, "at that time Jae-seok hyung ran into the mud first without saying a word. He didn't have to go that far, but he threw his body the hardest," and "in the end no one could avoid joining," he said. Kim Dong Wan praised him, saying, "Jae-seok hyung has always played the role of a catalyst who throws himself to break the stiffness on set and open the stage," and "he's the person who pushes when someone hesitates and naturally accepts someone's ad-lib to 'save' it."
He said, "if that position disappears, the stage doesn't settle as easily as you might think and it can just get messy," and "it's a position that manages the stage while blending with many people but must always take a step back. I hope the name Yu Jae-seok remains in that position for a long time," he said sincerely. He also mentioned Tamori as an example from the Japanese broadcasting world, explaining the role of a 'comfortable elder' who sets the tone without being authoritarian, comparing it to Yu Jae-seok.
This respect from juniors continued on the awards stage. At the 2025 MBC Entertainment Awards held on the 29th at the MBC Media Center public hall in Sangam-dong, Yu Jae-seok won the grand prize, marking his 21st overall and his ninth grand prize at MBC alone, a record achievement.
In his acceptance speech Yu Jae-seok said, "every time I receive a big award it's personally an honor and I'm grateful, but at some point I wanted to thank each and every person who applauds and cheers until late and those who work hard behind the cameras," and "thanks to your devotion and effort as someone's son or daughter I have been able to stand here more than 20 times." He added, "even if the broadcasting environment becomes difficult, I want to say thank you to the colleagues and seniors and juniors who quietly endure," and vowed, "what do we do if we play around next year? I'll run hard."
Earlier at the same awards ceremony Dex also did not hide his respect for Yu Jae-seok. He said, "'Taegyeilju' is the program that made me," and "my personal pledge is to send a greeting to Jae-seok hyung every holiday each year." He continued, "I will be someone who can keep greeting you next year and the year after. I will bury my bones at MBC," drawing big applause. Through The Zone: Survive to Live season 3 Dex joined as the youngest member of the so-called 'Y-line' and rose as a variety show star, and Yu Jae-seok showed affection for him saying, "cute, youngest son."
Even amid big and small changes such as Lee Yi-kyung's departure from Hangout With Yoo and Cho Sae-ho's departure from You Quiz on the Block, juniors' testimonies are consistent: when the stage wavers, the person who first throws themselves in to open the stage is the name Yu Jae-seok.
[photo] ' ' SNS, OSEN DB
[OSEN]