Na Young-seok (나영석) PD, a prominent South Korean variety show producer, has created numerous popular programs. He first gained recognition with the KBS2 variety show '2 Days & 1 Night' before moving to tvN, where he produced hit shows like 'Grandpas Over Flowers,' 'Three Meals a Day,' 'New Journey to the West,' and 'Jinny's Kitchen.' His work successfully elevated tvN to a position competitive with terrestrial broadcasters.
Recently, Na PD's family background became a hot topic on Korean online forums. A netizen on 'theqoo' posted a thread titled "Am I the only one surprised? Curious about Na Young-seok's family relationships," unearthing information about Na PD from the Korean Wikipedia-like platform, Namu Wiki.
According to Namu Wiki, Na PD was born in 1976. His wife is a TV home shopping producer, and their daughter was born in 2008. In 2021, Na Young-seok appeared on the Netflix variety show 'Paik's Spirit' and mentioned that his daughter was in her first year of middle school. Na PD has always been very private about his family, rarely discussing them in the media. This respect for his family's privacy reflects his consistently low-key and work-focused attitude.
What surprised the netizen was that Na PD served his mandatory military service in KATUSA (Korean Augmentation to the United States Army). The selection criteria for KATUSA are notoriously strict, with approximately 1,800 Korean men passing a rigorous selection process each year. Applicants must possess excellent English communication skills and pass multiple tests administered by the Military Manpower Administration. Due to the relatively superior living conditions during KATUSA service and its potential benefits for future career development, competition for entry is extremely fierce.
Furthermore, Na PD's personal biography states: "Although I didn't have a particular field I liked or a specific major I wanted to pursue, my grades were excellent. Without a clear goal, I unhesitatingly enrolled in Yonsei University's Department of Public Administration based on my father's advice: 'If you don't have a specific direction, becoming a civil servant is the best option.'"
However, during his university years, he coincidentally joined a drama club. It was through directing and acting in this club that Na PD truly realized this was his calling and decided to change his life's direction. This experience was so profound and memorable for him that he frequently mentions it in various interviews.
According to him, it was during his time in the drama club that he first truly felt the sensation of "being alive."
The netizen concluded by saying, "I always thought Na PD was single, why did I think that?" After the post went viral, netizens flooded the comments section. Some reactions included: "He sometimes mentions his daughter, so I knew, but I'm just finding out now that his wife is in the same industry," "He got married during '2 Days & 1 Night,' and there were quite a few news reports then. I heard he was still editing on the morning of his wedding day, that's truly shocking," "As a 'New Journey to the West' fan, I already knew," "In 'Earth Arcade,' the way he treats Lee Young-ji (이영지) and An Yu-jin (안유진) is very much like a father with daughters, isn't it? I don't quite understand why, but he always fulfills their requests," "Isn't the story of him being spotted at his apartment complex's playground famous? Seeing him pushing his daughter on a swing with an exhausted expression," and "The most shocking thing is that his wife is also in his line of work."
Other comments included: "It's amazing to find out his wife is a TV home shopping PD for the first time," "Sometimes when he meets idols, he'll say they're the same age as his daughter," "Wow, I didn't know either, I always thought he was 'married to his work' (?)", "I knew he had a wife and child, but I didn't know his daughter was that old," "He totally has that 'girl dad' vibe," "Oh my god, I like Na Young-seok and watch his YouTube often, but I didn't know he mentioned his daughter, only that he was married," "He has such a 'girl dad' feel that I'm surprised he only has one daughter; I thought he'd have two or more daughters," "He has such a 'girl dad' atmosphere, which I expected, but KATUSA is truly surprising," "I also thought he was a confirmed bachelor," "Na Young-seok is fine, Kim Tae-ho adopting a child is more shocking," and "I ran into him a few years ago at Hapjeong shopping mall; his wife and daughter were arguing, and he was standing by looking distraught."
