"No Script, 8 Hours of Pure Improv Next to Yoo Jae-suk"... Yang Sang-guk Responds to His Ambition to Become a Fixed Cast Member on 'What Do You Do?' [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Yang Sang-guk (43) is now in his prime.

Yang Sang-guk debuted as a 22nd cohort public recruit comedian for KBS in 2007. He later gained attention for his dialect acting on KBS 2TV's 'Gag Concert' and debuted as a race car driver in 2014, where he continues to compete as an athlete to this day.

However, after 'Gag Concert' ended in 2020, Yang Sang-guk had no notable activities in the broadcasting industry. Yet, he has recently emerged as a new key member alongside 'National MC' Yoo Jae-suk, sparking daily headlines. On MBC's 'What Do You Do?' (hereinafter 'What Do You Do?'), he once again showcased the essence of dialect comedy, fully launching his second prime.

As 'Gimhae Crown Prince,' the cheat code for 'What Do You Do?'s popularity, Yang Sang-guk recently visited the Seoul Gwanghwamun StarNews building to share his thoughts on the intense interest. When asked about his feelings on his 'second prime,' he said, "I feel like I'm dreaming or awake. Moreover, 'What Do You Do?' was filmed in my hometown of Jinyoung-eup, Gimhae. Since no such filming had ever taken place in Jinyoung, the entire hometown was in an uproar. It's still chaotic." He expressed his bewildered state of mind.

In particular, Yang Sang-guk uniquely evaluated that "'What Do You Do?' created the 'second Yang Sang-guk'." When asked about the most memorable reaction, he replied, "Saying 'We are living in the Yang Sang-guk era of 2026' or 'The Yang Sang-guk era has arrived' is both funny and amazing."

He then added, "When I first received the offer to appear on 'What Do You Do?', I was simply grateful that such an invitation came my way. At that time, I had no thoughts of becoming a fixed cast member, but after completing three recordings, I now make sure to keep my Thursday schedule completely open, just in case. That day is for 'What Do You Do?' filming." This revealed his ambition to become a fixed cast member, drawing laughter.

In fact, Yang Sang-guk is scheduled to appear on 'What Do You Do?' once again, riding the momentum. However, since there is no fixed program yet, he honestly admitted, "I always feel anxious about when I might disappear. I have a strong desire to become a fixed cast member."

He continued, "Actually, since 'What Do You Do?' is not my fixed program, I was quite on edge during the first recording."

Yang Sang-guk then said, "I am still being cautious, but at the same time, I felt I had nothing to lose. Also, Senior Yoo Jae-suk, my fellow trainee (Heo) Kyung-hwan, and HaHa have shown great trust in me and treated me well, so I was able to approach it more comfortably than expected. In particular, HaHa sent me a supportive text message the day before the first recording, saying, 'I'll accept anything, so do whatever you want.'"

Yang Sang-guk, who soared high with his specialty in dialect acting, revealed, "'What Do You Do?' truly had no script. It seems Senior Yoo Jae-suk, as the main MC, only knew the general flow, and everything else was filled with pure improv. The production team really only provided us with clothes and wigs, and we performed extremely 'live real' comedy sketches. Since we were doing these realistic sketches for eight hours straight, we had no idea how they would be broadcast. So, I had no idea they would be received this well."

How did it feel to be with 'Yoo-ness' (Yoo Jae-suk + God)? Yang Sang-guk couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected, the 'National MC' is definitely different."

He said, "This is the first time I've truly synced with Senior (Yoo) Jae-suk. Everything was improv, and if I gave 100, how could I make 100% of it funny? Yet, Senior Jae-suk made every line work perfectly. I was so busy doing my part and focused on grabbing what was right in front of me, but Senior Jae-suk was clearly seeing the whole picture. I couldn't feel this during filming because I was too busy. But watching it on broadcast, I thought, 'Ah, that's why Senior Jae-suk did it that way.' I realized he sees the big picture and draws the entire painting."

When asked about Yoo Jae-suk's reaction to the broadcast, he said, "Senior left me a text message saying, 'Yang Sang-guk, that was so much fun. Let's see each other again.' That made me more excited than even a message saying, 'I miss you, oppa.'"

Moreover, rather than getting carried away by the popularity of 'What Do You Do?', Yang Sang-guk drew attention with his attitude of enduring the weight of the crown. He said, "I know that 'What Do You Do?' could be a poisoned chalice. It's not just anyone; it's Senior Yoo Jae-suk. Isn't Senior Yoo Jae-suk himself someone who would cause a major problem if touched incorrectly? So, in fact, it's not easy. I feel like I'm walking the fine line between like and dislike. I'm playing on the edge where a single step can go wrong. In fact, after a sketch on 'What Do You Do?' where I ordered Senior Yoo Jae-suk around, I even received malicious DMs (Direct Messages) such as 'Who do you think you are?' If it were ten years ago, I would have been hurt, but since I've received so many negative comments over the years, I'm less bothered by them now." He spoke calmly.

The reason he could mature so much is that until just a month ago, he had no activities other than his radio schedule. Yang Sang-guk has been hosting TBN Korea Transportation Broadcasting's 'Kim Hyo-jin and Yang Sang-guk Meet at 12' for four years.

Yang Sang-guk said, "It took several years for the reaction to 'What Do You Do?' to come like a 'boom.' I have been a radio DJ for four years and a racing driver for 11 years, but it's true that I haven't had many major variety show appearances. It was really hard to get even one opportunity. Still, I worked very hard to do whatever I could behind the scenes. Our field is like that. Many seniors have left because it was too hard, and others have found different careers, but if you keep playing around in this area, even if you don't give up, opportunities will come. Just being given an opportunity is something to be grateful for. So, even if this situation disappears now, I don't think my heart would be so unsettled. In the past, I would have tried everything to not miss this chance and would have been very ambitious, but now, I am just grateful for the opportunity coming again and have no great ambition." He showed a calm attitude.

As a senior who finally saw the light after a long struggle, he also gave practical advice to juniors. Yang Sang-guk said, "There's no rule that says you have to die. When it got too hard, things would slowly start coming in one by one, and then more would come. I kept enduring and enduring, and then this unbelievable opportunity came. I think that by holding onto even small opportunities and working hard, they slowly accumulated to where I am now. So, even if something seems small or not mine right now, I believe you should never treat it lightly. I feel that someday, everything will shine. Just like when I was on 'Gag Concert,' I supported my seniors' segments without my own, which later shone as improv comedy on 'What Do You Do?' Looking back, I learned a lot from that time. Because of that time, I was able to handle the big stage when it was given." He spoke sincerely.

Yang Sang-guk also said, "I am so grateful that many people love me. I am truly living a dream-like time these days. This makes me think even more that comedians must prove themselves with laughter. Since laughter is the end goal, I feel I shouldn't grow too serious. However, there must be emotion within the laughter. I will work harder to become a comedian who gives healthy laughter." He raised his voice.

Finally, Yang Sang-guk spread positive energy, emphasizing that one should dream big. He said, "This is a goal I've mentioned before: I dream of becoming the 'National MC.' I believe that if I think I can become the 'National MC,' I might at least get close to it. I think that someday, when the times change, a comedian like me will be able to achieve it." He spoke confidently.

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*This content was translated by AI.