Yoo Jae-suk Bows to Collective Resistance from 'What Do You Do When You Play?' Members

On January 11, MBC's 'What Do You Do When You Play?' aired a special winter song episode. The production team introduced the segment by saying, "Winter has arrived, and it brings to mind warm music. We thought we’d sing some winter songs and invited some guests to join us."

Originally, this special was planned for the Christmas season, but due to the state of emergency and impeachment crisis, the show was canceled for two consecutive weeks on December 7 and 14, causing the broadcast date to be pushed back indefinitely. By the time the new year of 2025 rolled around, the show had been delayed from its original air date of December 14 to January 11. The production team sighed, saying, "We’ve sung so many carols..." and added, "Since it’s late, let’s enjoy a Christmas story from the 13th month, even if it’s out of season."

The winter song special kicked off with the first guests, John Park and Ailee. Lee Yi-kyung asked John Park if he remembered where they first met, to which John Park looked puzzled. Lee Yi-kyung recounted, "You even came up to me at the gym. I was working out when someone suddenly grabbed my hand. I was surprised to see you saying, 'Hero, thank you' as you walked away."

When asked why he called him a hero, Lee Yi-kyung explained, "He saved someone on the Han River Bridge." John Park responded, "Was that just a few days ago? I mentioned it because it left an impression on me, but I don’t think I said 'Hero, thank you' in English." Lee Yi-kyung insisted he had said it in English, and Ailee chimed in, teasingly asking if that was what he really wanted to hear.

As the episode continued, Haewon, Seunghun, Kim Jo-han, and KCM joined, bringing all 12 winter song members together. Yoo Jae-suk noted that Kim Jo-han didn’t watch much TV, so he only knew him and Haha from the show. Lee Yi-kyung interjected, "But you know me, right?" Kim Jo-han replied, "I know everyone, but I just haven’t seen you on TV." When Lee Yi-kyung asked if he remembered their meeting, Kim Jo-han said he did but then asked, "Where did we meet?" This led to laughter as Lee Yi-kyung hesitated to answer.

Haha teased, "Why do you always have unrequited love?" to which John Park expressed admiration for Haha's memory. Lee Yi-kyung tried to remind them of a time they had pizza together, but Kim Jo-han still seemed unaware. Yoo Jae-suk urged Lee Yi-kyung to stop, but Lee Yi-kyung insisted, "We ate pizza together. You made it when you had a pizza place!" Ailee then pointed out that she had just been told it was nice to see her again, even though it was their first meeting.

Lee Yi-kyung then claimed, "We did an English quiz on our show, remember?" expressing his frustration at being the only one who remembered. Haha comforted him, saying, "Not everyone remembers like you do," while Joo Woo-jae added, "It’s just a passing connection." Yoo Jae-suk agreed, saying, "That can happen in life," and Ailee bluntly remarked that he seemed to be the type to be forgotten easily, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

Yoo Jae-suk then asked if anyone had a connection with Haewon, to which she replied that they only brushed past each other on broadcasts. Ailee pointed out that they had sung together passionately, and Haewon confirmed they had done a duet. Yoo Jae-suk teased them, saying, "So you both remember now?" but they quickly reminded him, "It was your program!"

It turned out they had performed a duet on KBS2's 'Syncro U.' The revelation led to a collective outcry from the members, and Yoo Jae-suk humorously fell to the floor in defeat. Joo Woo-jae jokingly grabbed him, and Ailee commented, "It seems we all have bad memories. Maybe we’re the forgettable types. Sorry, Lee Yi-kyung, I didn’t realize you felt this way." From the start of the winter song special, Yoo Jae-suk found himself in a precarious position, repeatedly apologizing.

He then remarked, "It’s so funny. Jo-han isn’t looking at Yi-kyung. Jo-han, come over here!" Kim Jo-han joked that he might show up on CCTV, to which Lee Yi-kyung pointed out that it had been years ago. Yoo Jae-suk teased, "It’s not like Yi-kyung committed a crime," and Haha comforted Yi-kyung, saying, "It’s okay. I remember everything."

Later, Yoo Jae-suk mentioned that there were 12 members, including themselves, but they would be meeting a few more guests. Ailee asked if they might get cut from the show, and Yoo Jae-suk reassured her, saying, "We’re creating a song together, and there will be hidden members joining us, so stay tuned!"

In the meantime, Yoo Jae-suk and Haha visited a coin karaoke room to meet the hidden members. The surprise guests turned out to be actress Song Geon-hee and fencer Oh Sang-wook. Haha was impressed by Song Geon-hee’s looks and singing ability, saying, "Give me a chance to sign you!" and praised her flawless skin. Yoo Jae-suk remarked on Oh Sang-wook’s appearance, saying, "You’re officially stepping into the entertainment industry now," to which Oh Sang-wook replied that he planned to balance his entertainment activities with his training since there were no major competitions like the Asian Games or Olympics this year.