The experience of “I’m Going to the Temple” traversing the healing and dopamine of “Hangout With Yoo” members brought laughter.

Aired on the 15th, the MBC “Hangout With Yoo” (directed by Kim Jin-yong, Lee Ju-won, Wang Jong-seok, Ahn Ji-sun, and Bang Seong-su/writer Noh Min-seon) was themed around the encounter temple stay “I’m Going to the Temple.” The men were designated the name “woodworker” while the women were called “princess,” creating a chemistry explosion while they got to know each other.

The key indicator measuring the channel competitiveness and topic explosiveness of the episode of “Hangout With Yoo” that aired that day, the 2049 viewership rating, recorded 2.1%, securing the first place among Saturday entertainment programs. The metropolitan households’ viewership rating showed 4.1%. The highest one-minute rating of 4.7% was during the segment where Yoo Jae-suk interacted with a tree, known as “Mok-Iltche.” However, Yoo Jae-suk’s healing was interrupted by “Woodworker No. 3″ Heo Kyung-hwan’s enthusiastic attempt to interact as he charged toward “Princess No. 1″ Park Jin-joo instead of the tree, bringing laughter. (Nielsen Korea metropolitan standard)

“I’m Going to the Temple” is a program where monks actively act as couple makers to help find connections, and KCM and Heo Kyung-hwan participated with the members. As the unmarried members were excitedly engaged, Yoo Jae-suk said, “(The married men) Haha, KCM, and I will do the temple stay, and the others will do ‘I’m Going to the Temple.’” Haha expressed a desire to join, saying, “They might like us,” but Yoo Jae-suk firmly responded, “You should step back,” making everyone burst into laughter.

The self-introduction time began, showcasing their charms. Mi-joo claimed the “visual” role, saying, “The more you push me away, the more my heart goes away,” mentioning her ideal type. Lee Yi-kyung candidly opened up about his financial situation, saying, “I have a debt of 500 million won after getting scammed. I bought a building and it halved in value.” Lee Yi-kyung declared he would prepare for marriage but humorously declared to Mi-joo, “You are not in the running.” Heo Kyung-hwan, who came as the “catfish man,” sent a signal to Park Jin-joo, saying, “I want someone who can see me as a bigger person,” with her being shorter.

The members, having changed into ceremonial robes, got to know each other while touring the temple. While listening to the history of the temple, Yoo Jae-suk asked, “You know the suppression of Buddhism policy, right?” to which Mi-joo replied, “Pork belly?”, causing a stir. Additionally, while walking along the meditation path, Mi-joo called phytoncides “pepperchidon," showcasing her silliness, stirring the hearts of the male participants. While Yoo Jae-suk found healing through nature, Heo Kyung-hwan ran toward Park Jin-joo like a wasp, trying an enthusiastic “princess hug”. Yoo Jae-suk’s healing was disrupted, prompting him to grumble, while a monk suggested, “It seems there will be trouble if we stay here longer,” and decided to move locations.

Next was the recreation time, where couples were selected to participate in games. Mi-joo kept focusing on Lee Yi-kyung, who was putting up walls, and the couple telepathy game between “Princess No. 2″ Mi-joo and “Woodworker No. 4″ Lee Yi-kyung commenced. With three consecutive successes, spectators were thrilled as dopamine surged. Heo Kyung-hwan approached Park Jin-joo, but she requested a partner switch, which caused laughter. Meanwhile, the married Yoo Jae-suk, who was excluded from the excitement, shouted, “It has no meaning for us.” Unselected Joo Woo-jae triumphed by successfully completing five consecutive telepathies with Haha, taking first place. The two humorously performed an unnecessarily staged kissing ceremony, resembling a pair of woodpeckers.

The last segment was mealtime combined with silent meditation. The members began eating in silence, glancing at each other. They had to completely empty their bowls with no remaining side dishes and wash the final dish with clean water. The monk declared, “If the shared water is dirty, we have to drink it together,” which made the members tense with responsibility. As the karma piled up in the clean water bowl, the members were left speechless, and the monk said, “When I just became a monk, I ate like this. It brings back traumatic memories,” making everyone burst into laughter. The members ended “I’m Going to the Temple" washing away their romance with the cleansing dishes.

Meanwhile, the next broadcast preview raised expectations as it featured Yoo’s unexpected attack with a million warriors against the struggling food service industry in the 2025 edition. The show airs every Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

[Photo] OSEN DB, MBC

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