Kim Jong-kook Recalls First Meeting Yoo Jae-suk, Rookie MC's Swift Exit After Payment

South Korea's "Nation's MC" Yu Jae-seok (유재석) and singer Kim Jong-kook (김종국) have forged a strong bond over years of collaboration on shows like “X-Man,” “Family Outing,” and “Running Man.” Recently, the two publicly shared the amusing story of their very first encounter on a television program, unexpectedly revealing Yu Jae-seok's demeanor when he received payment as a rookie, much to the audience's amusement.

The tvN variety show “You Quiz on the Block” recently released a video titled “Jong-kook and Jae-suk’s First Meeting! Kim Jong-kook’s First Impression of Rookie Yoo Jae-suk?” sharing their little-known history.

On the show, Yu Jae-seok recalled that he once hosted a fan meeting for Kim Jong-kook’s group, Turbo. He assumed Kim Jong-kook would surely remember him, but was surprised when Kim Jong-kook asked, “Was the MC back then really you, hyung?”

Kim Jong-kook explained that he only learned the truth years later. He recounted how a fan eventually told him that Yu Jae-seok had hosted Turbo’s fan meeting. Even the fan hadn't recognized him at first, only exclaiming, “Wait, the MC was Yoo Jae-suk!” after looking back at old photos.

Yu Jae-seok also laughed as he confessed that, as a rookie MC at the time, he didn't have any particularly deep feelings for Turbo. He admitted, “Logically, as the MC, I should have stayed for the entire event and listened to everyone sing. But as soon as I received my payment, I felt my work was done and happily left the venue.”

Surprisingly, Kim Jong-kook remembered this scene vividly, laughing as he said, “I remember! I remember hyung getting paid. You were sitting in a corner, and a staff member handed you a white envelope. That was a lot of money back then. Hyung took the envelope and bowed 90 degrees to express thanks.” Yu Jae-seok couldn't help but laugh in response, “That really was a huge sum of money for me at the time. I was incredibly happy, and I spent that money very wisely.”

In fact, Yu Jae-seok and Kim Jong-kook's connection began with “X-Man,” and they went on to host other popular variety shows like “Family Outing” and “Running Man.” Having collaborated for over 20 years, they are now widely recognized as a golden duo in the entertainment industry.