MBC's 'The Manager' Season Finale: A Heartwarming Feast with Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung

MBC's variety show 'The Manager' wrapped up its 2025 season with a spectacular finale featuring Lee Young-ja's heartfelt seasonal feast alongside stars Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung.

In the 378th episode aired on Saturday, the 27th, Lee Young-ja, who previously sparked the 'Green Onion Syndrome' in October, reopened 'Yumi Gamak' with staff satire and her aunt Myung-hwa to present a winter seasonal feast.

As a 'food ingredient manager' with a global grasp of ingredients, Lee's latest 'artists' included nutrient-rich dried radish greens from Gangwon Province's Punchbowl and Yongdaeri pollack, which undergoes 33 freeze-thaw cycles in winter winds. She also highlighted seaweed from the pristine waters of Taean and sweet, chewy seasonal squid, showcasing her unique seasonal aesthetics.

The highlight was the visit from the 'Made in Korea' team, including Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung, No Jae-won, Park Yong-woo, and Kang Gil-woo. Lee's seasonal dishes, such as radish greens tteokbokki, radish greens dumplings, pollack soup, and squid sashimi, quickly whetted the actors' appetites. The culinary delight peaked with 'scored pork belly' perfected with a thousand knife cuts and rare 'plump garlic' from the garlic research lab.

Lee Young-ja expressed her desire to treat her esteemed guests with Korea's finest ingredients, saying, "I wanted to boast about the shining ingredients of Korea." Hyun Bin, in turn, warmed the atmosphere by thoughtfully packing plump garlic and pork belly for his wife, Son Ye-jin.

The actors also engaged in candid conversations. Hyun Bin humorously denied Hong Hyun-hee's claims of their friendship, saying, "No!" but added, "We can become friends in the future," delighting the studio.

Hyun Bin praised his wife's homemade kimbap, made with her grandmother's recipe, as the best taste, showcasing his 'wife-loving' side. Jung Woo-sung surprised with his culinary skills, making kimchi with just 'intuition.' Previously, in December, it was revealed that Jung Woo-sung had a child out of wedlock with Moon Ga-bi, who later shared photos with her son on social media but closed the comments due to negative remarks.

The magical first snow saw everyone dancing in a circle, and Hyun Bin's impromptu live performance of 'That Man' left an unforgettable impression on viewers. This edition of Yumi Gamak, blending Lee Young-ja's sincerity with the actors' heartwarming stories, was a perfect winter feast capturing both taste and emotion.

Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr