“I’ll aim for 30”: Yoo Jae Suk reflects on career after 21st Grand Prize win
by Minsoo-Kim · allkpopYoo Jae Suk has claimed his ninth Grand Prize at MBC, marking the 21st Grand Prize of his career overall.
On the evening of December 29th at 8:50 PM KST, Yoo Jae Suk won the Daesang, the highest honor, at the 2025 MBC Entertainment Awards, held at the MBC Media Center Public Hall in Sangam-dong.
Having previously won the Grand Prize at MBC eight times, Yoo Jae Suk set a new all-time record with his ninth Daesang from the network. This latest win also brought his personal career total to an unprecedented 21 Grand Prizes.
Accepting the award, Yoo Jae Suk joked, “I said earlier the probability was 49 percent—I should’ve said 51 percent,”before first expressing his gratitude to HaHa and Joo Woo Jae, with whom he currently appears on 'Hangout with Yoo'.
He then mentioned junior colleagues who have since left the program, saying, “I want to say thank you and good job to Park Jin Joo, Mijoo, and Lee Yi Kyung, who stayed with us until this year.” His inclusion of Lee Yi Kyung in particular drew attention, given the controversies surrounding the latter’s departure.
Lee Yi Kyung previously stepped down from Hangout with Yoo last month following a series of personal controversy allegations involving leaked private messages. Afterward, he claimed his exit was not voluntary and accused the production team of pressuring him over past incidents, prompting an apology from the show’s staff. He later sparked further debate by mentioning only HaHa and Joo Woo Jae—excluding Yoo Jae Suk—during another awards ceremony. Against this backdrop, Yoo Jae Suk’s public acknowledgment of Lee Yi Kyung, saying “you worked hard, and thank you,”stood out.
Yoo Jae Suk continued by repeatedly expressing appreciation for the production staff. He said, “‘Hangout with Yoo’ changes week by week, and unpredictable situations often arise. To meet a broadcast deadline with only three days left, countless staff members put in tremendous effort. Thanks to you, the show makes it on air.”
He added, “I sincerely thank the viewers who continue to support us. It’s always an honor, and I’m deeply grateful. Even now, so many people are watching our program and sending applause and encouragement.”
He went on to say, “You all work tirelessly behind the cameras, but at least once a year, I want to look each of you in the eye and express my gratitude. Not just me—everyone here is someone’s precious son or daughter. Thanks to your dedication and hard work, I’ve been able to stand on this stage more than 20 times.”
Yoo Jae Suk also addressed the broader entertainment industry, noting, “You’ve all worked incredibly hard this year. The broadcast environment keeps getting tougher, but I sincerely thank all variety show professionals, seniors, and juniors alike.”
Reflecting on his career, he said, “This is my ninth Grand Prize at MBC. Last year, I was fortunate enough to receive my 20th Grand Prize at another network, and with this award today, I’ve reached my 21st. No one knows the future.” He added, “I received my first Grand Prize in 2005, and now my 21st in 2025. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I’ll keep trying to reach 30.”
He concluded with a warm message: “As Hwa Sa’s song says, I hope we can say ‘good goodbye’ to all the bad things and welcome 2025 with good memories. We can’t always be happy, but I hope you’ll have a safe year filled with smiles. Next year, I’ll keep running hard with ‘Hangout with Yoo.’”
The 2025 MBC Entertainment Awards, which wrapped up MBC’s variety programming for the year, aired live on December 29 at 8:50 PM and was simultaneously broadcast on Japan’s KNTV. Jun Hyun Moo and Jang Do Yeon served as hosts.
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