Yoo Jae-suk Expresses Desire to Collaborate with Na Young-seok

On January 25, 2025, the YouTube web entertainment show PinggaGo (핑계고) released a new episode titled 'Industry Talk is Just an Excuse' featuring a candid conversation between renowned producer Na Young-seok (나영석), Yoo Jae-suk (유재석), and Ji Seok-jin (지석진). Na Young-seok, known for his hit shows like KBS2's 1 Night 2 Days (1박2일), tvN's New Journey to the West (신서유기), Boys Over Flowers (꽃보다 남자), and Three Meals a Day (삼시세끼), revealed his insecurities about filming, stating, "I actually feel anxious whenever I go to shoot something."

Reflecting on his iconic show 1 Night 2 Days, he admitted, "It’s embarrassing to say, but I did 1 Night 2 Days for five years and then gave up. I was fully immersed in filming, editing, meetings, and scouting locations on my days off. I felt uneasy handing it over to someone else because of the bond I had built with the cast, so I kept the same team together."

Ji Seok-jin raised concerns about the show's grueling conditions, such as swimming in cold water and sleeping outdoors, but Na Young-seok defended his choices, saying, "I had a conscience. When we went to a winter camp, I stayed outside with the cast, and if they couldn’t eat, I didn’t eat either. I even tried swimming with my juniors during scouting trips. I could do that when I was younger, but I can’t anymore."

Yoo Jae-suk then expressed his wish to collaborate with Na Young-seok in the future, saying, "If the opportunity arises, I would love to work on a program together." Na Young-seok responded positively, suggesting they could create a variety show together, noting, "If big names are involved, we’ll definitely do it. People like us are obsessed with success."

However, it remains uncertain if they will work alongside Kang Ho-dong (강호동). Yoo Jae-suk reminisced about their time on KBS2's Kkunkka (쿵쿵따), saying, "I did Kkunkka for about nine months. I can finally say that I can hit Ho-dong hyung for life. He might not remember, but I could hit him and he wouldn’t have anything to say." This refers to a past bet where Kang Ho-dong lost to Yoo Jae-suk, which has been a topic of discussion on JTBC's Knowing Bros (아는 형님) as well, with Kim Hee-chul mentioning, "Do you know why Kang Ho-dong and Yoo Jae-suk don’t work together? It’s because he lost on Kkunkka."