[Sportschosun Park Ah-ram] A past swimsuit pictorial of model Joo Woo-jae is resurfacing and drawing laughter from the cast.
"Screwballs" is a variety show that captures the joys and sorrows of life as assembled by the top 1% of talent, without a single screw. Kim Sook, Hong Jin-kyung, Cho Sae-ho, Joo Woo-jae, and Wooyoung have appeared together, showing off the lively chemistry of the younger lineup. With games, costumes, punishments, trips, mukbang, and talk segments, along with occasional emotional turns, the show has steadily expanded its fan base.
The show has continued its series through "Doraiver: Searching for the Lost Screw," "Searching for the Lost Handle," "Doraiver Disassembly Show," and "Doraiver Season 4: The Rival." It has now returned with Season 5, "Doraiver: The Game of Death." The new season has also been drawing attention by moving to a Saturday 11 a.m. release time.
Season 5 immediately proved its popularity by staying on Netflix's "Top 10 Series in Korea Today" for a full week after its launch. It also added to its achievements by being nominated for Best Variety Program at the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards.
The latest episode features a special segment titled the "Elementary School 3-Event Contest." With the dress code set as elementary school students, the cast members interpret the concept in their own ways, while the show's signature games and role-play scenarios overlap to create more laughs.
During the segment, a swimsuit pictorial from Joo Woo-jae's 59kg days suddenly appears on screen. As his gaunt body, posed as if doing a plank in a swimsuit, is revealed, the cast erupts with reactions all at once.
Wooyoung is the first to stare at the screen and question, "This isn't AI manipulation, is it?" He then asks, "Are those abs? Or bones?" and seems increasingly convinced that bones are more visible than muscles.
Watching beside him, Cho Sae-ho adds another joke, saying, "It's his organs." His remark dismisses the image as neither abs nor bones, pushing the laughter even further. As the two trade jokes, the set fills with competing interpretations of the swimsuit photo.
When the unexpected old photo appears, Joo Woo-jae cannot hide his embarrassment and tries to cover the screen with his hand. He soon gives in and explains, "It's a magazine pictorial. I weighed 59kg at the time of the shoot," revealing that it was a modeling-era photo.
He does not stop there. He adds, "The photo title is 'A Grasshopper Before It Jumps Out,'" turning the moment into self-deprecating humor and sparking another round of laughter on set.
In this way, Episode 6 of Season 5 weaves together games, costumes, and a resurfaced old photo under the "Elementary School 3-Event Contest" concept, highlighting the cast's chemistry and reactions all at once. Joo Woo-jae's 59kg-era swimsuit pictorial, along with the cast's debate over whether he had abs, stands out as one of the episode's most memorable scenes.
tokkig@sportschosun.com
