'Hangout with Yoo' Cast's Hilarious Money Battles: A Recap of the Latest Episode

The cast of 'Hangout with Yoo' brought laughter with their game of hot potato to avoid paying the bill.

On the episode aired on the 28th of last month, MBC's variety show 'Hangout with Yoo' featured Yoo Jae-suk, Haha, Heo Kyung-hwan, Joo Woo-jae, and Yang Sang-guk in the 'War Against Crime: The Golden Age of Country Bumpkins' segment. Although they met with the intention of sightseeing in Seoul, the five men spent the day in a 'war of money,' leading to hilarious chemistry.

The episode recorded a household viewership rating of 5.2% in the Seoul metropolitan area. The key indicator of channel competitiveness, the 2054 viewership rating, reflecting changes in media consumption, reached an impressive 4.0%, securing the top spot in Saturday variety shows. The peak moment was when the members fled to avoid paying for beef, leaving Yang Sang-guk alone and bewildered, with the highest minute rating soaring to 6.6%, according to Nielsen Korea.

'Gimhae native' Yang Sang-guk made his first appearance with a thick Gyeongsang-do dialect, asserting dominance over 'fake Busanite' Haha. Yang declared, "There are many fake Gyeongsang-do people, but I'm the original," while Haha, unable to understand the native dialect, amusingly asked, "What are you saying?"

As the Seoul tour began in earnest, the five men enjoyed Seoul-style chueotang with loach. Yoo Jae-suk, who had been forced to pay for coffee earlier, initiated a lunch bill game, marking the start of the 'war of money.' They decided to use a zero game to determine who would pay, and Yang Sang-guk ended up footing the bill. Feeling robbed, Yang complained, "Seoul people are tough. They invite you and don't even buy you a meal."

The bill-passing continued at a prop shop. Yoo Jae-suk, known to own real estate assets worth 30 billion won, argued, "Spending is necessary for the economy to circulate," prompting Yang to go on a shopping spree. This time, Haha was chosen to pay. The shopping trip ended with Haha not enjoying himself, and the five men, anxious about the growing stakes, headed to a Han River cruise.

A shoe-throwing game determined who would pay for the cruise and snacks. The five men became tense, and when Joo Woo-jae threw his shoe far, Yoo Jae-suk and Haha claimed it was invalid. Joo Woo-jae, feeling wronged, exclaimed, "Do you want to see me go crazy?" Meanwhile, Yang suggested changing the shoe-throwing direction to face the Han River view. In the resumed 'Woo-jae targeting' game, Heo Kyung-hwan made a mistake with his short legs, becoming the one to pay.

Haha spent 280,000 won, Heo Kyung-hwan 140,000 won, and Yang Sang-guk 160,000 won, highlighting the disparity in spending. Haha, eager to continue the games, proposed another game on the cruise, betting on seagull feed purchases. Haha ended up paying again, concluding the cruise with a less-than-joyful experience.

Addicted to the games, the five men entered the final battleground, a beef specialty restaurant. A battle of wits ensued to avoid paying, with Haha exclaiming, "Enjoy your meal, hyung!" targeting Yoo Jae-suk. However, Yoo quickly employed a 'wallet defense skill' by bowing with the group, avoiding the bill. Yang was left speechless at the sight of his senior comedian's humility in front of the bill. The five men showed their shallow camaraderie by holding hands and going to the restroom together to prevent anyone from escaping.

The final dinner bill was decided by an alarm game. As they passed a phone while giving compliments, the alarm went off just as Heo Kyung-hwan was about to hand it to Yoo Jae-suk. The others immediately fled, leaving Heo alone, exclaiming, "Wow, I'm going crazy," as he faced his 'wallet bankruptcy day.' After paying 505,000 won for the beef, totaling 650,000 won, Heo declared, "This war of money isn't over yet. Argh!" hinting at the return of the 'war of money.'

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