Yoo Jae Suk (TV Host, Comedian)

Yoo Jae-Suk is a South Korean comedian and host of a variety show on television. People have elected him the most popular Korean comedian for five years in a row, earning him the moniker "MC of the Nation" (since 2004). In South Korea, he has hosted various variety shows, including the massively popular Infinite Challenge and the currently airing Running Man. He's known as "The Grasshopper" for his early appearances dressed as a grasshopper, and he's established himself as one of Korea's top comedians and TV personalities. Yoo Jae-Suk was born on August 14, 1972, in Seoul, South Korea, as the first of three children (he has two younger sisters). Yoo Jae-Suk studied in the Seoul Institute of the Arts, but due to his busy schedule as a comedian, he was unable to complete his degree.

In 1991, he made his television debut alongside Choi Seung-Gyung on the KBS Comedian Festival (for college students), performing a parody of a commercial. One of his early noteworthy moments in Infinity Challenge was him dancing to a cover of New Kids on the Block's "Step by Step." He hosted a program called Live and Enjoy Together in 2000, owing to Choi Jin-request, Sil's after nine years of hard circumstances. The show was an instant hit, and Yoo Jae-Suk has subsequently hosted a number of other variety shows. When he co-hosted The Crash of MCs with Kang Ho-Dong, Lee Hui-Jae, and Kim Han-Suk, he demonstrated his full potential.

His first Grand Prix was for a show called Happy Together Friends, in which TV stars strive to locate their high school friends (five of them) among the many (fake friends) seated behind the desk. The show was immensely successful since it reminded viewers of their school days. This Grand Prix stands significant not just because it was Yoo Jae-first, Suk's but also because of the broadcasting system on which he made his debut. He presented the television series X-Man, which quickly became one of Korea's most popular shows. During that time, he got a lot of popularity, and several shows started calling him "MC of the Nation." However, after a few years of continuous airing, the program was canceled due to low ratings and a lack of new ideas, and Yoo Jae-Suk went on to host its replacement shows for SBS, New X-Man, Old TV (in which guests would reenact classic TV series), and Haja! Go! (Let's Do It), all of which were quickly canceled due to low Sunday evening ratings. X-Man, on the other hand, has found international syndication success.

• Born: 14 August 1972 (age 49)Seoul, South Korea
• Education: Seoul Institute of the Arts
• Years active: 1991–present
• Agent: Antenna
• Medium: Stand-up, television
• Genres: Observational, sketch, wit, parody, slapstick