Yoo Jae-suk Recalls Working Part-Time at Kim Tae-kyun's Beer Pub During His Unknown Days on 'Hangout with Yoo'

Yoo Jae-suk has opened up about the leanest stretch of his career, revealing that he once worked part-time at comedian Kim Tae-kyun’s beer pub while waiting for his big break.

According to Sports Chosun’s report on the October 10 broadcast of MBC’s “Hangout with Yoo,” the memory surfaced while the cast was launching the show’s new “‘95 Seoul Music Festival” project, following last year’s successful “‘80s Seoul Music Festival.” Yoo Jae-suk was joined by Haha, Heo Kyung-hwan, and Joo Woo-jae for the new segment.

The trigger was a contestant nicknamed “Sleepless Night in Seattle,” who belted out the late Kim Hyun-sik’s “My Love, By My Side.” Yoo Jae-suk praised the performance, calling it the late singer’s representative song that carries “his final voice” and remains a masterpiece in Korean music history.

Then he shared his own story. “When I entered college in 1991, I joined a broadcasting station as a comedian, but when things weren’t working out, I worked part-time at the beer pub run by Kim Tae-kyun,” he recalled. “Tae-kyun played this song on LP very often… back then it was the latest song. That’s why it stuck in my memory.”

The contestant advanced to the main round with passing votes from everyone except Heo Kyung-hwan.

The “‘95 Seoul Music Festival” project is now underway, and more contestants will take the stage in the coming weeks.