Actor Lee Jun-young shared a touching story about a special connection with Yoo Jae-suk, whom he met during his trainee days before his debut.
Lee Jun-young appeared on the tvN variety show You Quiz on the Block, which aired on the 8th. He has recently been drawing attention for his performances in a range of productions.
He has been making his name known to the public with impressive acting in works including Suddenly Intern, D.P, and When Life Gives You Tangerines.
On the show, Lee said that his appearance on You Quiz on the Block carried special meaning. "My parents were happier when I said I was going on You Quiz on the Block than when they heard I had been cast in a project," he said. "They told me, 'So you've made it.'"
Lee Jun-young also recalled the first time he met Yoo Jae-suk during his trainee days before debut. "I’ve never mentioned this before, but I used to be at a company run by Jackie Chan. Yoo came there for Running Man filming," he said.
He added, "The others greeted us warmly too, but Yoo Jae-suk was the only one who hugged each trainee one by one."
Lee said Yoo Jae-suk’s warm attitude left a deep impression on him. "At that moment, I thought, 'Wow, that’s Yoo Jae-suk.' But he was truly warm. He probably didn’t know our ages or even our names, but he told us, 'I’ll cheer for you. We have to meet,'" Lee said. "I thought I should become that kind of adult someday."
Yoo Jae-suk responded with admiration, saying, "People really do cross paths for a reason." Lee Jun-young also expressed how meaningful it was to meet again after so many years.
Lee also explained why he chose to appear on You Quiz on the Block even though he was about to enlist. "It was right before my enlistment, so I turned down every schedule that came in. But I really wanted to do any program featuring someone I’m grateful for before I left," he said.
Earlier, Lee Jun-young had also worked with Yoo Jae-suk on last year’s Seoul Music Festival segment on What Are You Doing When You Play?
shyun@sportschosun.com
