YENA Shines as the Life of the Party on 'Radio Star' Chuseok Special

K-pop singer YENA brought her quirky and candid charm to the 'Radio Star' Chuseok special, aired on MBC on the 8th, filling the studio with laughter and positive energy.

Reflecting on the overwhelming response from her previous appearance on 'Radio Star,' YENA shared, "The first person to contact me was Jang Won-young," adding, "My parents also said they were proud." She expressed gratitude to Kim Gura, who danced a challenge with her, and shared a funny story about a gift card he gave her. "I shared it with my family, and my dad said, 'I never thought I'd drink coffee bought by Gura. Tell him I'll buy him a drink next time,'" she recounted, bringing laughter to the set.

YENA also talked about her connection with science creator Orbit. "I've always been curious, and now I have an incredible network. I have a scientist friend," she said. "I sent a simple question via DM, and he replied with a long, understandable answer, so we became friends on social media," she explained, surprising everyone.

Having ventured into mystery variety shows with 'High School Mystery Club,' YENA admitted, "I was worried because I'm not good at solving mysteries. I wondered, 'What should I do here?' But as I continued, I gained courage and intuition," she said. "I feel like I've grown as a person. If I hadn't done it, I would have remained a coward. It was fun and gave me courage."

She also shared stories behind her nickname 'Chok YENA.' "I've had many lucky moments. I leaned against a wall and found a button, or kicked something and a door opened," she said. "Whenever I had a feeling, there was something there. If I thought, 'There might be something there,' there really was," she added, making everyone laugh. She also revealed a 'premonition dream' episode, saying, "I dreamt of Jo Yu-ri crying in front of an obstetrics clinic. I woke up shocked, and it turned out she played a pregnant woman in Netflix's 'Squid Game.'"

YENA also shared behind-the-scenes stories of collaborating with BTS's Jin. As a guest on Jin's 'Loser' stage, she said, "World-class is different. Even in the morning, they grilled pork belly and let us choose ramen. I remember eating it so deliciously," she said, charming everyone with her cute storytelling.

She also talked about preparing for a stage inspired by 'Waterbomb Goddess' Kwon Eun-bi. "She sprayed a lot of water. The closer you got, the more you got hit. I thought I couldn't just take it, so next time I brought an umbrella," she said, showing her quirky yet lovable side.

During the broadcast, YENA perfectly reenacted a drama scene of spitting juice into a cup, causing an uproar of laughter. With her witty reactions and candidness, she captivated the hearts of the MCs and guests, proving her presence as the mood maker and a rising star in variety shows.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr