Youn's Stay: The Show You Didn't Know You Needed
Only 29 minutes into the nearly 2-hour premiere of Korea's reality show Youn’s Stay and I'm smitten! After the week we just had in America, never would I have thought I could be truly distracted from the issues at hand and find myself smiling and laughing out loud. Unlike American reality TV, the entire premise of this Korean reality show is to have their celebrities serve. No competition. No backstabbing. No drama. Just a chance to watch some of your favorite actors be gracious to a (mostly unsuspecting) general public who don't even know who they are.
For season three, Youn’s Kitchen switched things up due to the coronavirus pandemic and came up with Youn’s Stay. Instead of a Korean pop-up restaurant in a foreign country, the cast finds themselves hosting international guests at a hanok (traditional Korean guest house). Hanoks first came on the scene in the 14th century during the Joseon Dynasty where Korean architecture considers the position of the house in relation to the land and seasons. Ssangsanje in Gurye, South Jeolla Province is what one might describe as a cross between a hostel and an Airbnb. A 100-year old persimmon tree is at the front of the property and you walk on a path through a bamboo forest to get to the guest houses. I don’t know about you but ever since watching The King: Eternal Monarch bamboo forests hold a certain fascination for me.
Due to Covid restrictions, they decided to provide a Korean experience for several groups of international guests who have been in the country during the pandemic but unable to experience much of the food or culture. The show assures all precautions were taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19. While coronavirus deaths have doubled from less than 500 to 1,185 in the last couple of months in S. Korea they still are at the bottom when it comes to impact on the country with just 70,212 total cases during the pandemic. In mid-December, a national mask mandate was put in place. In comparison, the U.S. has had 381,000 deaths during this same period of time. I mention these facts and statistics to show how seriously S. Korea is taking this pandemic as there have been concerns by the viewing audience for the participants.
Another difference from American reality TV, we’re not talking about B or C celebrities, or faux celebrities (those who become famous solely for participating in a reality show). One is getting a lot of buzz about her new movie and being a potential 2021 Oscar contender, another had a big role in 2020’s Oscar-winning Best Picture, and yet another a cameo in the same film and his 2020 K-drama was one of the year’s top-rated. Let’s just say they don’t need this show for the exposure.
~ Youn’s Kitchen 2: Get Inspired to Eat & Cook Korean Food ~
YOUN YUH-JUNG
After a career in television and movies over the span of 55 years Youn Yuh-Jung (aka YJ) is showing few signs of slowing down. She recently made her Hollywood debut in Minari, directed by Lee Isaac Chung and there's talk she may get an Oscar nomination. Youn's Stay was only filmed in late November 2020, and when her castmates were teasing her about getting an Oscar she was her normal down-to-earth, self-deprecating cutie ♡·♡ —worrying if the rate of $350 per night for a party of three for the guest houses plus two meals was too expensive. This season YJ is still the “boss” but her main duty is to check guests in so she doesn’t have to be the head chef like in previous seasons. Bless this woman who is nearly 74 years old but doing well keeping up with the young ones! It’s heartwarming to watch her castmates look out for her.
This is a wonderful look back at Youn Yuh-Jung in her younger days.
LEE SEO-JIN
Lee Seo-jin, an actor and television host best known for the reality shows Three Meals a Day and Grandpas Over Flowers, is the kitchen manager of the inn this season. He’s in charge of beverage service, dessert, and fills in where needed. And he is needed in many places. He’s still the director and the one with the business mind—several times he had to remind YJ to get money from the guests.
JUNG YU-MI
Jung Yu-mi is now the head chef and clearly has been honing her kitchen skills since Youn’s Kitchen 2. She’s in charge of making some of the main and side dinner dishes as well as the breakfast porridge. You may recognize Yu-mi from Train to Busan or more recently, School Nurse Files on Netflix. She and Park Seo-Jun work well together in the kitchen and they’ve got a pretty organized system in place to keep the kitchen running smoothly this season. Yu-mi’s garnishing skills on several dishes in Youn’s Stay shows an attention to detail that wasn’t there with the hotteok in Youn’s Kitchen 2. After Youn’s Kitchen 2, Yu-mi was in Seo-Jun’s What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim as—wait for it—a chef-owned restauranter.
PARK SEO-JUN
Park Seo-Jun first joined Youn's Kitchen in season two. Most hilarious was when someone asked if he was a star and he said no. He genuinely seemed too embarrassed to be tooting his own horn. When another customer found him on YouTube he couldn't believe the guy serving him wine had 4.4 million followers on Instagram. 16.7 million followers later with one of the top K-dramas of 2020, Itaewon Class, I'm happy to report Seo-Jun is the same lovable humble guy he was back when Youn's Kitchen 2 aired in 2018 before his breakout hit, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim. Seo-Jun takes his job as the sous chef very seriously and titles aside—he’s clearly more than an “assistant” chef. He continued to practice making the inn’s signature dish, tteok-galbi (떡갈비), at home after being trained by a real chef. We see him working tirelessly doing everything by hand because the chef said Korean food is all about handwork.
Below is the scene from What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim featuring Jung Yu-mi with Park Seo-Jun. If you haven’t seen this K-drama you’re missing out. Lee Yeong-Jun is the complete opposite of Park Sae-ro-yi in Itaewon Class which you can see in the trailer next to the other clip. I was introduced to Park Seo-Jun through Itaewon Class so when I saw WWWSK I was surprised to see him in such a starkly different role.
CHOI WOO-SIK
The new guy this season is Choi Woo-sik. He was in a little film called Parasite, Oscar’s Best Picture in 2020. He was also in Train to Busan. They call him the “intern” and while it looks like they're piling all the grunt work on him, he is cheerful and hardworking. Reminds me of when Park Seo-Jun was the “part-timer” in season two. Woo-Sik is the guests’ main contact and he’s really friendly and comes across as genuine and authentic.
As I saw in Youn’s Kitchen 2, it’s clear everyone likes each other, and not only do they get along, they look out for each other. When you add the good-natured ribbing between them it’s the perfect recipe (see what I did there?) to warm the hearts of their guests AND the audience.
In this clip you see how hard Seo-Jun prepares his work in the kitchen ahead of time. But the real reason I included it is to show you where Woo-Sik worries he and Yuh-Jung might be seen as a couple. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ🤣
One of the best things about this show is the extra commentary and sound effects you’ll see on screen. I challenge you to not smile or laugh out loud. Youn’s Stay is currently not available for streaming in the U.S. on any mainstream platforms. There are a couple of strange sites that are free with no commercials but it’s highly recommended to have an adblocker extension on your browser. If you don’t have an adblocker you need to IGNORE any ads or popups (don’t believe crazy warnings saying you need to update, scan, or download something to protect your computer). If a new tab opens when you push play, close that new tab and click on the play button again.
If you’re learning the Korean language this is a great show to watch because of the everyday conversation. This is real life and you’ll hear words and phrases you need to know if you don’t already. “Ah cheem” (breakfast) or “jeon yeok” (dinner) for example.
The season has just gotten underway but we can see this is no small undertaking. These five actors are putting their heart and soul into making sure they show their guests a lovely time. If you aren’t jealous and wish you were lucky enough to be at Youn’s Stay, you’re a better person than me!
If you need a break from the world I highly recommend you travel with me to Korea via Youn's Stay. You’ll learn about Korea, Korean food, and be entertained to the point of laughing out loud—and your heart will be full.
It does help if you're familiar with the five actors because watching them work hard and serve so graciously is definitely the charm of the show. Click on any of the orange text (links) above in each of their descriptions for some of their shows. Click on the Instagram video inserts and the videos below for previews of Youn’s Stay. Some have English subtitles, the ones that don’t you can still understand bits from watching and listening.
I’m officially declaring myself a “Youni”—the name I came up with for fans of the show. Anyone want to join me—are there any other Younies out there?
Meanwhile, I continue to practice my Korean so I’m more prepared if—I mean when—I make it to Korea. 🤞
I’d love to hear if anyone else is watching so drop me a comment below and let me know if you love the show as much as do! 감사합니다!
**Weekly updates can be found below the preview videos**
EPISODES 2 & 3
1/27/21: I just finished Episode 3 after watching Episode 2 a couple of nights ago. We’re nearly a month into 2021 and it hasn’t been much better than 2020. Youn’s Stay is no longer the show I didn’t know I needed. Youn’s Stay is the show I can’t wait for. First, let me just say again, it’s hard not to wish I had been one of the lucky guests at this 200-year-old traditional hanok. Youn’s Stay first night of guests included three students from Ukraine, a family of four from America (with two kids Logan age 10, and Caroline age 7), and a couple from Nepal with their toddler and the wife’s father.
I would call this an adventure of a lifetime but the closest thing to action you’ll see is night one in the kitchen. The most excitement comes on day two when an Iranian man is so thrilled when he recognizes all the actors. It’s graciously peaceful. And hilarious. I’m almost giddy at times as I find myself clapping and laughing out loud. For a couple of hours, I can escape the problems of the world, pretend I’m in Korea and watch simple acts of kindness with a silly grin on my face. *(^o^)*
In this next preview of what’s coming up in the next episode, am I the only one who clapped my hands while watching Seo-Jun and Woo-Sik break out in what sounds like a cute Korean folk song? They’re just so adorable! ♡·♡
During my Korean language class last night with JfromKorea he asked us if we could meet only one Korean celebrity who would it be. I said Park Seo-Jun because he works so hard and seems like such a gracious and sincere human being with a wonderful sense of humor. It would be fun to cook a meal with Seo-Jun—I’m so impressed with his skills in the kitchen.
EPISODE 4
2/1/21: Episode 4 features the second group of guests. The English man, Mr. Farmer, didn’t realize everyone taking care of him (picking him up, checking him in, carrying his luggage, cooking his food, serving his food, cleaning up, etc.) were a group of actors in some of the top Korean dramas and movies. As he’s discussing his discovery of this with the other guests, an Iranian couple and two priests, they marvel at this fact and all agree they could not see Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt doing something like this. This is exactly what I’ve been saying. Unlike a lot of American reality TV, the crew behind the scenes doesn’t appear to be doing most of the work. Not only are Seo-Jun, Woo-Sik, Yu-mi, Seo-Jin, and Yuh-Jung doing the heavy lifting (the work that really counts), much of it is done incognito—they’re not looking to be recognized. And there is example after example of them going out of their way to make sure the guests at Youn’s Stay are being well taken care of.
At one point Park Seo-Jun takes special care to garnish the dumpling soup by individually placing little decorative pieces of egg one-by-one with tweezers (as directed by Yu-mi) only to watch Woo-Sik pour the broth in the middle of his decorative work. This is as close to drama or conflict you’re gonna see on Youn’s Stay. But you’ll be disappointed if you think Seo-Jun went all Gordon Ramsey on Woo-Sik. Maybe now you’ll understand why it would be easy to overuse the word endearing when describing this show.
Did I mention it’s really obvious how much the actors like each other and how well they get along? How many times am I allowed to call them adorable? 🥰
EPISODE 5
2/7/21: Episode 5 has eleven guests checking in—and they all arrive at almost the same time. Unlike Episode 4 the staff were dealing with nearly double the people. One of the joys of watching Youn’s Stay is seeing the international guests and watching them interact with the staff and the other guests. Take away the leaders of countries and just letting the people get to know each other gives one a very different worldview. If I learned anything the past 4-5 years I don’t want people judging America on who happens to be occupying the White House. If we learn anything from Youn’s Stay I hope we understand there’s no need to fear people just because they are different from us, who come from a different country, who have different traditions. Even Park Seo-Joon is envious of the time the guests are able to spend together.
Lee Seo-Jin received the highest compliment when the guests said he was so handsome and compared him to George Clooney. The guests don’t get to interact with Park Seo-Jun as much because he’s so busy in the kitchen but it looks like he chose the right hairstyle since it caught their attention.
At one point Seo-Jun worries if he’s going to be able to chop enough meat for the tteok-galbi because there are so many guests. Seo-Jin lures him to the dark side by telling him to use the blender. 😱 What about the training chef who told Seo-Jun and Woo-Sik handwork is most important? 😂
But all’s well that ends well. The food has been receiving the highest compliments from the guests with many saying it’s as good if not better than any food they’ve had since being in Korea. One guest admits he hasn’t really tried Korean food up until now.
Yuh-Jung thinks Park Seo-Jun could win an award from the Daejong Film Awards for his cooking and Woo-Sik thinks Seo-Jun could open a restaurant if he wanted. Maybe a pub called Dan Bam (단밤) in Itaewon? I would certainly put it on my list of places to visit in Korea.
At the end of Episode 5, it said the next episode wouldn’t air for TWO WEEKS due to the Lunar New Year holidays. 헐! (OMG!) Episode 6 will air on February 19th in Korea. It usually takes an extra day for the English-translated version. To get you through the next couple of weeks I’ve added some more fun clips.
EPISODE 6
2/22/21: Episode 6 During the Lunar New Year holiday break without a new episode of Youn’s Stay I was saved by being able to watch Youn Yuh-Jung’s new movie Minari. I grabbed a ticket for the first virtual screening on February 12th. My two adult kids joined me and fell in love with Yuh-Jung, she was their favorite part of the movie. Some folks may not realize but Youn Yuh-Jung lived in the U.S. for about ten years in the 80s and her sons who were born in the U.S. live here now. I hope Yuh-Jung not only gets nominated for an Oscar—I hope she wins. The entire cast really did a great job. My fingers are crossed for awards season.
While I’m talking about Minari please indulge me for a moment. I really relate to Steven Yeun talking about, “walking the line between two cultures and not having a solid footing in either,” Asian and American, "I just have a foot in my own thing — like our own intrinsic third culture." As a Korean adoptee, I would add a fourth culture that complicates things, even more, when trying to understand how we fit in. I’ve never felt like I truly fit in with Asians, Americans, or Asian Americans. I want to go to Korea but I know I’m also not going to really fit in there either. In an interview with the NYTimes Yeun said, “Sometimes I wonder if the Asian-American experience is what it’s like when you’re thinking about everyone else, but nobody else is thinking about you.” That noise you hear is me snapping my fingers. One more reason why representation matters.
If you haven’t seen Minari you can still get tickets on A24’s site here and it will be available on other streaming platforms on February 26th.
I normally like to watch the new episode as soon as the English version is up but while I was waiting I got distracted by news of the recent uptick in violence against Asian Americans that’s been on the rise since the beginning of the pandemic when the former White House resident insisted on calling Covid-19 the Chinese virus. The elderly community has been particularly affected by this which makes it even more tragic. If you’re not familiar with what’s been happening please check out this Time Magazine story. StopAisanHate.info is a good resource for on-going information and how you can help. Silence at a time like this is dangerous. S P E A K O U T
When I was able to finally watch Episode 6 this morning I was not disappointed. But I had a scare early on when Park Seo-Jun says something about being done after breakfast the next day and Woo-Sik says, “let’s not cry tomorrow.” ㅜ_ㅜ 헐! (OMG!) I was so sad thinking this was the end—which then seemed confirmed when they showed the cast coming together in what looks like a reunion to revisit Gurye. Luckily it turns out they just took a break and were returning for the winter season.
It’s revealed Seo-Jun and Woo-Sik have known each other for eight years and have done a number of projects together which they highlight because we don’t already think they’re adorable. They all have a good laugh when they receive the remaining sketches of everyone from the priest. ㅋㅋㅋ ㅋ🤣 I was a bit worried the priest’s feelings might be hurt but they received a letter after the first episodes aired which was very gracious so all appears to be well. It is honestly heartwarming to watch them get along so well and again I have to say their laughter brings me much-needed joy. ^_______^
Yu-mi is clearly the porridge master but Woo-Sik seems to feel the vegetarian version could use more salt and appears to try and get Seo-Jun to sneak some in. Park Seo-Jun’s cooking skills are showcased again when he practices at home before the complete menu turn over for the next group of guests. I love that we hear his mom advising him off-camera. I’d like to pitch the idea of a show that revolves around Seo-Jun doing a cooking class. And yes. I’m raising my hand to be Seo-Jun’s first cooking student! (^_^)/
EPISODE 7
3/1/21: Episode 7 has 12 new guests checking in. A Mongolian family, a couple from the UK, a family from America, and two women from Germany and Brazil. The boys from Mongolia are especially adorable.
I was late watching this episode—again. Ironically, in an indirect way, K-dramas are the reason I don’t have time to watch K-dramas. Yes. I know Youn’s Stay isn’t technically a K-drama—it’s a reality show—but since the entire cast are actors in K-dramas it’s close enough. Because of K-dramas I am learning to speak (and write) in Korean, and currently am in two Zoom study groups, one Discord Korean language group, and one daily on-going “class” with Shichan via WhatsApp. Another one of my Korean language teachers, JfromKorea, has been giving live tours of cool places in Korea via Twitch. I was able to “see” Busan (the city where I was born) for the first time thanks to Jae as well as Namsan Tower, which is featured in so many Kdramas. My blogpost about Which K-drama You Should Watch Next has turned into a completely separate section—K-Drama Reviews—and I’m trying to complete reviews for the 44 shows I’ve watched so far. I’m halfway through the Korean novel Pachinko—I want to know the story before it airs on AppleTV. I discovered a couple of K-drama clubs in Clubhouse and find myself spending more time than anticipated talking about K-dramas with people from all over the world. There just aren’t enough hours in the day—or night—to get everything done. But maybe the coolest (unintended) perk of all this is I’m “meeting” and getting to know people from all over the world who share my interest and love of Korea. If you’re on Instagram or Clubhouse I’m @thekatturner—come follow me!
Last night instead of watching Episode 7 I was keeping an eye on the Golden Globes. While I’m disappointed in the HFPA and their outdated rule of not allowing a film that’s not at least 50% in English to be considered for Best Picture, I was thrilled Minari won Best Foreign Film. The Globes might be on their own for overlooking Youn Yuh-Jung for a Best Supporting Actress nomination and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for YJ and Minari the rest of award season.
I know I sound like a broken record but a big part of the charm of Youn’s Stay is how well the cast members get along. The formula is the complete opposite of American reality tv but I think people are drawn to Youn’s Stay because of the sincere graciousness we see from the cast members. This week the highlight had to be seeing the sketch of Jung Yu-Mi pop up in random places which brings about much laughter. Or maybe it was when YJ wondered if Woo-Sik thought they were a couple? Choi Woo-Sik did seem a little out of sorts coming back from the break and with so many guests checking in. Despite the issues during their practice round with the new menu, they seem to have worked out all the kinks but they did leave us with a cliffhanger. Did Lee Seo-Jin burn three batches of waffles in a row? Will the guests wait for their dessert? Tune in next week to find out. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 🤣
**UPDATE 3/6: While I wait for English subtitles on the raw version of the next episode I thought I’d give you this sneak peek. 🥰
EPISODE 8
3/7/21: Episode 8—the theme this week is cute kids. And cute Park Seo-Jun. Let me explain. The young boys from the Mongolian family were just adorable—they even knew how to speak Korean. Equally adorable was Park Seo-Jun’s interaction with the boys because he went out of his way to acknowledge them. At one point when the boy’s mom asks Seo-Jun to take a picture with each of them, Seo-Jun sweeps the little one off his feet and holds him up next to his face to pose for the mom. This is after he greets the older one, shakes his hand, and asks his name. When getting ready to serve breakfast Seo-Jun wonders if they should give the boys some “baby” spoons he’s found to use, but then says he doesn’t want to hurt the older boy’s pride so he only gives the younger one the kid spoon. After breakfast when Choi Wook-Sik and Seo-Jun take snacks up to the lounge they find the boys flying kites so of course, Seo-Jun has to join in. When the boy from the American family decides to try his hand at kite-flying Seo-Jun comments about how cute he looks running. As they’re getting ready to check out he even helps the young Mongolian boy to put on his gloves. When all the guests are leaving he talks again about how cute the boys are and says he might cry as he ponders about how the time at Youn’s Stay will be a special memory for the kids. This episode really had Seo-Jun’s heart on his sleeve. 🥰
The other highlight was when Lee Seo-Jin named Woo-Sik, Woosiknardo Choicaprio. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ🤣 You have to see it to understand but this was a week full of smiles and laughter. Confirming again, why Youn’s Stay is the show I know I need. What am I going to do when the season is over? 😭
This scene deserves a close-up look. *(^o^)*
**UPDATE 3/8: Special surprise! Park Seo-Jun released a new video on YouTube cooking in the kitchen with a couple of his staff members. Just remember I told you a couple of weeks ago he should have his own cooking show. Looks like I didn’t get to be his first student. ㅜㅜ But we all get to see him in the kitchen so enjoy! *-*
EPISODE 9
3/15/21: As highly anticipated Youn Yuh-Jung has been nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the film Minari today! On to Episode 9: This might be Youn’s Stay’s biggest night with 13 guests checking in. Ph.D. students in neuroscience, and mathematicians of some type of math I’ve never even heard of—suffice to say it was a smart group. I was excited (and jealous) to see Ph.D. student, Shacarol, was from the state of Georgia (which is where I currently live). YJ had some really cute moments and the guests continue to love her. I can’t wait for all the guests to discover this lovely woman is an Oscar nominee.
Choi Woo-Sik is still getting a kick out of playing pop-up with the sketch of Jung Yu-Mi and this week Lee Seo-Jin and Park Seo-Jun were accomplices. Woo-Sik seemed more tired than normal and of course, his buddy Seo-Jun was looking out for him, massaging his shoulder, feeding him fried veggies—and I’m pretty sure he even grabbed his butt and snickered at one point. The most adorable thing was when Seo-Jun overhears Woo-Sik on the phone with his mom and starts yelling greetings from under his blanket to Woo-Sik’s Omani (mother). Her reaction is so cute, and the back and forth between the three of them will have you feeling all the feels. 🥰
Seo-Jun seems a bit nervous this week in the kitchen because of the special dietary restrictions and allergies of several of the guests. YJ was nervous as well, taking extra care of memorizing each guest’s needs and being very careful as she took and relayed the dinner orders.
When Yu-mi wasn’t busy bursting out in laughter or reprimanding the guys every time her sketch popped up somewhere new, she was pretty chill taking everything in stride. This week’s romantic interlude was between Seo-jin and YJ instead of Woo-Sik. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 🤣 Honestly, the smiles and laughter just keep coming.
EPISODE 10
3/22/21: To say it’s been another tough week in America would be an understatement. The rise of violent acts against Asian Americans has been on the rise over the past year. This week it hit my city of Atlanta in a most devastating way when six Asian women were killed, four of them Korean. The Asian American community along with allies have joined together to speak out and continue to call for an end to the racism that permeates America and puts BIPOC communities in danger. If you want to help please be informed and consider donating to Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta who has boots on the ground and works tirelessly on behalf of the Asian American community in Georgia. #StopAsianHate
Episode 10 is so delightful. I changed it up from cute and adorable but those two words are what I was saying to my TV as I was watching, which made it so delightful! Park Seo-Jun and Choi Wook-Sik should have their own show. They were spot on when one of them said they were like an old couple. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ🤣
We got to see Youn Yuh-Jung a bit more this week. She is clearly the elder statesman and is beloved by her fellow actors as well as the guests. Yuh-Jung raved about the ramyeon Seo-Jun made just for her and her castmates had fun teasing her about how much she could eat.
Breakfasts at Youn’s Stay are like nothing I’ve seen before. I make a frappuccino or latte using a chocolate protein shake every morning, but most of my life a bowl of cold cereal was typical—if I even took the time to eat that first meal of the day. At Youn’s Stay they serve the guests both soup and porridge. When Park Seo-Jun found out it was one of the guest’s birthday he made a special seaweed soup, which is a Korean tradition. If you watch K-dramas you probably know about this tradition, but do you know what the significance is behind it? As explained by Yuh-Jung, “in old days, after delivery mothers had to take some iron. That’s why they had to eat this seaweed soup. It’s a special dish for the mother after the birth.” YJ said in order to remember their mothers’ pain they eat seaweed soup. She told Deb to remember his mother and enjoy the soup. It literally took the whole cast to deliver this special breakfast to the six mathematicians.
Watching the cast bid farewell to their guests is always fun to watch. As they clean up to prepare for the last group of guests we see again how seriously they take their jobs at Youn’s Stay. Their reaction to the notes left by the guests is heartwarming. Is there anyone watching who doesn’t wish they could’ve been a guest at Youn’s Stay?
Extra surprise this week. Park Seo-Jun released another episode of him cooking tteok-galbi, which he made on Youn’s Stay. This was definitely one of the more involved and complicated dishes to cook. Hope you enjoy this extra video!
Once again, Youn’s Stay is just the break I needed after a very long emotionally exhausting week. Another thing that helps my spirit is seeing people from all over the world find this blog post. I’m not sure how you’re finding it but it warms my heart to know so many people around the world find joy watching Youn’s Stay. I would love to hear from more of you, even if it’s just to tell me what country you’re in and what it is you like about Youn’s Stay so drop me a comment below! If you want to hear what else I have to say come find me on Clubhouse: @thekatturner. I love how the internet is making the world so small!
EPISODE 11
3/27/21: Episode 11 For once I was able to watch this week’s episode pretty quickly after the transcribed version was released. Watching has become somewhat bittersweet because we meet Youn’s Stay final group of guests so we know it’s the final full day and the last dinner they will serve which means the end is near. Am I the only one who feels teary-eyed? ㅜ.ㅜ
The last guests to check-in at Youn’s Stay are made up of four different groups of students, teachers, and one intern from the Switzerland Embassy in Korea. The last to arrive are a group of three students, one whose dad is a Korean adoptee who grew up in France. My heart almost stopped when they revealed this fact. Park Seo-Jun commented that Antoine must be very curious about his dad’s country and Youn Yuh-Jung quickly agreed. As a Korean adoptee who has not had the opportunity to return to Korea yet, it meant a lot to know Seo-Jun and Yuh-Jung have some understanding of the curiosity one might have. I couldn’t help but wonder if Antoine’s dad has ever been to Korea. I’ve been grateful to be able to experience the country of my birth through this glimpse Youn’s Stay has given me. Youn Yuh-Jung, Lee Seo-Jin, Jung Yu-Mi, Park Seo-Jun, and Choi Woo-Sik have been great ambassadors.
Some avid Park Seo-Jun fans noticed when they were checking the calendar that it was his birthday. This episode made no mention of this fact. I also didn’t see it acknowledged in the upcoming preview. Maybe this is something Seo-Jun kept to himself. But let’s wish him a very happy birthday after the fact. 박서준 생일 축하해!
As Lee So-Jin noted all the new guests are pretty young, born in the 90s. Antoine is the youngest at only 19, born in 2000 just a week shy of turning 20. Seo-Jin side-stepped when someone asked him how old his kid would be if he’d had one with his first love. He chuckled and said one of his friends has a grandchild.
The background music was especially enjoyable this week with both Earth Wind & Fire’s September and Queen’s Killer Queen being featured. I always find it interesting when Korean shows use Western music. Speaking of music. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when Woo-Sik decided to organically start a kitchen band with Seo-Jun and even Yu-mi joined in at the end.
Yu-mi got an extra surprise when she opened the refrigerator and found her sketch looking straight at her. That sketch is the gift that keeps on giving thanks to Woo-Sik. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 🤣
Tteok-galbi makes a return for the final dinner at Youn’s Stay. Seo-Jun is once again lured to the dark side as he undertakes the chore of mincing the meat by hand. YJ also lends a hand helping to scoop out the steamed chestnuts. This recipe is the said to be the royal recipe served to the king back during the Joseon period.
This week two of the guests recognize Seo-Jun when they’re introduced to the chefs. I always wonder if the guests Google all the cast and start watching their shows after having met them. I’m trying to prepare myself for next week to be the last episode but hoping I’m wrong and maybe there are two left. Until then enjoy these last two clips and imagine what your reaction might be if you were able to meet these gracious hosts at Youn’s Stay.
**UPDATE 4/4/21: CONGRATULATIONS TO YOUN YUH-JUNG for winning SAG Best Supporting Actress for her role in Minari! On to Episode 12. I don’t really want to write this update. Watching the last show made me cry and writing this is no easier. ㅠ.ㅠ The cast kept talking about not crying on the last day so I know I’m not alone in my emotions. Unless there’s a reunion update episode this was the final episode of Youn’s Stay. I wrote the original post because I needed an outlet to express the impact it was having on my spirit and I wanted to spread the word about this show you didn’t know you needed. It became the show I had to watch.
The cast and crew set out to give their international guests visiting Korea an experience they weren’t getting because of the pandemic. But it wasn’t just the guests at Youn’s Stay who got a reprieve from the lockdown. Based on the visitors to this post, people all over the world have been tuning in. Every week for a couple of hours we have all been able to escape our lives, go to Korea, and meet wonderful people from all over the world. For me, it has been a weekly reprieve from the anxiety-ridden issues in the U.S. I can’t ignore what’s going on around me, especially in my state of Georgia, but being able to almost feel like I’m in Korea for even a couple of hours each week has been life-giving. While watching Youn’s Stay my smile couldn’t have been wider or my laughs louder—literally just complete joy!
8 Days
21 Teams of guests
64 Guests
6 Dinners
6 Breakfasts
From the very beginning of episode one, Youn Yuh-Jung, Lee Seo-Jin, Jung Yu-Mi, Park Seo-Jun, and Choi Woo-Sik have been so gracious and put their hearts, souls, and as YJ said—their guts—into serving their guests. The thing we heard most of the guests say is that being at Youn’s Stay was a, “once in a lifetime experience.” Many mentioned how cool it was to be able to stay in a hanok, and of course, everyone raved about the food! It’s clear Youn’s Stay was a much larger undertaking than Youn’s Kitchen but I would love to see them do another season of Youn’s Stay. As a Korean adoptee who’s not been back to Korea, I appreciate any time I can see more of the country.
Enjoy the recap through these clips (the last one had to be what I left you with) and feel free to come back anytime you need to relive this season of Youn’s Stay. 감사합니다! ❤️
THE REUNION
4/9/21: The reunion was uploaded to Producer Na Young-Seok’s YouTube channel. It hasn’t been translated to English but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I couldn’t help but cry joyful tears when Youn Yuh-Jung’s cast mates cheered and stood up for her when she entered, congratulating her on her SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress in Minari. Just seeing them come back together this week reinforced how much they’re going to be missed—I couldn’t help but be teary-eyed. You probably can’t tell from reading these posts but I’m not one to let people see me cry. But with no one around I can let all my emotions come out. There was a lot of laughter at the end, so definitely make sure you watch!
Thank you again to Youn Yuh-Jung, Lee Seo-Jin, Jung Yu-Mi, Park Seo-Jun, Choi Woo-Sik, AND Producer Na Young-Seok for making me laugh, smile, and forget the world around me for these brief moments each week. Thank you for letting me see the best of Korea through your graciousness. I cannot wait to come to see the country where I was born.
If you’ve been following along with this blogpost I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below. What is it you liked about Youn’s Stay? When you need a Youn’s Stay fix, I hope you’ll come back and relive these wonderful moments often. 감사합니다! 🥰
**UPDATE 4/10: Here are some transcribed clips of the reunion. Enjoy!
There are three video clips in this next one so make sure you click on the right arrow to see them all.
I know Youn’s Stay was a lot of work but I really hope we see a season two. If any Younies out there agree with me let me know in the comments and let’s see if we can’t give them some encouragement!
**UPDATE 4/18/21: Youn Yuh-Jung is on a roll! Yuh-Jung won Best Supporting Actress at the BAFTA Awards.
Next week the Oscars will finally be here. Youn Yuh-Jung will be at the awards and I can’t wait to see her. It’s too bad this will be a streamlined event due to Covid but we can’t take risks. While we wait for next week enjoy this interview Yuh-Jung did with Deadline.
**UPDATE 4/25/21: Youn Yuh-Jung is Oscar’s Best Supporting Actress! ★.★ And of course she was her usual adorable cute self who we’ve come to love. 🥰
I was taking a group Korean language class via Zoom. When I told my teacher @JFromKorea that I was going to be distracted because I was watching the Oscars waiting to see if Yuh-Jung won he asked me to let him know if she won because everyone in Korea was excited as well. By the time the Best Actress award came on, he had broken us into small rooms to practice our pronunciation and when he came into the room he could tell I wasn’t facing my computer so asked what was going on. You’ll see in the video after I tell him Youn Yuh-Jung won and I was listening to her speech, he apologized to my other two classmates and said he needed to hear this and asked me to turn the volume up. It was surreal to know YJ was here in America accepting her award while I was taking Korean language class and I was able to share her win in real-time with my teacher in Korea. The internet has truly made the world small when it comes to being able to connect with people.
This is a fitting way to end this blog post once and for all. Thanks again to everyone who’s been on this journey with me. Here’s to hoping there’ll be another season of Youn’s Stay in the future. ❤️🇰🇷
BRITISH GUEST ANTHONY FARMER
8/19/21: I got an email today from Anthony Farmer, the English guest in episodes 3 & 4! He commented on this post but wanted to include a photo taken when he ran into Jung Yu-mi, Park Seo-Jun, and Choi Woo-Sik a couple months after the show.
Needless to say, I was thrilled to have Tony find my blog post. It’s always so cool to see people from all over the world find this post and know they love Youn’s Stay. My heart always skips a beat when I see someone in Korea has seen any of my Korea posts. It’s hard to describe but sometimes I feel almost an aching need to return. My feelings are jumbled with desire and trepidation because I’m not sure how I’ll actually feel or what I’ll find once I get there, I just know I need to go.
Tony emailed me this photo he took but you’ll have to scroll down to the comment section to see what he had to say. So glad he confirmed what I already knew was true in my heart. I’d love to hear from more readers so once you make it to the comment section please let me know what YOU thought about Youn’s Stay!
Anthony Farmer (ep. 2 & 3) with Jung Yu-mi, Park Seo-Jun, and Choi Woo-Sik when they spotted him a couple months after the show in Gangnam (📷:: Anthony Farmer)
**Special Announcement: I will be talking with Anthony Farmer, the British guest from episodes 3 & 4 on Clubhouse on Monday, September 20th at 9PM EDT, 6PM PDT, 1AM GMT, 10AM KST in the K-Dramatics Club. Tony will be giving us an inside view of his experience on Youn’s Stay. Come listen in and join the Q&A!**
Thank you so much for joining us in the K-Dramatics Club on Clubhouse Tony.
감사합니다!
Younies, please check back for the podcast version of the room. 😊
When I upgraded my website I was unable to import the comments from the 7.0 version to the 7.1 version. I love hearing from others who love Youn’s Stay so I did screenshots of those comments so I wouldn’t lose them.
If you enjoyed Youn’s Stay: The Show You Didn’t Know You Needed, check out these related posts:
