2011 10Awards│Top 10 Entertainers of the Year - Part 2

The tenacious one on the “Radio Star” segment of MBC’s “Golden Fishery,” the new emcee of MBC’s “I Am a Singer” with the voice of a salaried worker in his forties, the judge who will be willing to put on a passionate dance sequence on cable music channel Mnet’s singing competition "Superstar K," the Yoon Lennon of “Beatles Code,” the host who will openly enjoy the live singing by his pretty juniors on Mnet’s “Director’s Cut,” the dad of three children, a user of Twitter and me2day, and the publisher and editor of “Monthly Project Yoon Jong-shin.” These are the numerous names that once again this year, best describe Yoon’s diligence. Yoon, who has constantly worked in both the entertainment and music industry since deejaying on MBC's radio program "We are Hi-teens" in 1991, is also a messenger of the universal joy of entertainment shows and distinct beauty of music. Even his fashion and hairstyle which is improving day by day is causing the optical illusion of him increasingly resembling actor Jung Woo-sung so maybe that is why it is said that a guy's looks depends on how successful he is.

He is still the son that all mothers hope for. No Korean woman over the age of 50 can help herself from automatically smiling and blushing upon hearing him say, “Mother” and if you were an adult who has been displeased with the indifference and rudeness of ‘young people these days,’ you would not be able to help yourself from being touched by his affectionate manners. But show biz is an industry which is too tough for one with just an upright and cheerful image to survive. And therefore, Lee too had considered his departure from SBS’ “Strong Heart” and KBS’ “Two Nights and One Day” to prepare for his activities in Japan but after much dissuasion, he has stayed in his place and now has even much more responsibility on his shoulders due to TV personality Kang Ho-dong's temporary exit from the industry. Yet despite his young age of 25, his quickness to lead on the show starring over a dozen guests, an adequate amount of chatting skills and his ability to know and utilize his own character, has won him reputation as the most reliable solo emcee today.

Jeon Hyun-moo referred to the two weeks he was the talk of the town, after being invited a solo guest on KBS’ “Win Win” and singing the so-called ‘four-level high notes’ in “Happy Together 3,” as “the time when people’s impression of me hit a high as if the KOSPI breached the 2,000 point mark.” And Jeon started his career as an anchorman at major broadcaster KBS although aiming to be the emcee of entertainment shows so he started at a position that was disadvantageous compared to other entertainers. Yet he was not afraid of messing up his image, he did not waver from malicious comments on the Internet and ended up narrowing the gap between what he wants to do and what the public wants to see. Hence after making five guest appearances on “Happy Together 3,” he became a special one-day emcee for the show’s 200th episode and after attempting so hard to belt out ‘seven-level high notes,’ he came to stand on stage with singer IU for her song “Uncle” when she sang it on the day she made her comeback. That is how Jeon Hyun-moo convinced, made laugh and became friends with the ones who had turned their backs on him.

If TV commercials were the measure for how popular a celebrity is, 2011 could undoubtedly be called Jeong Hyung-don’s best year. But if you look back on the year, the sides he showed to himself within MBC’s “Infinite Challenge” are not drastically different from how he was last year. He is still bad at singing and at times, continues to act like an imbecile. He was awkward when he met Zo In-sung but is cocky towards Jung Jae-hyung. But he was funny in all situations. The characteristics he had accumulated over the years ended up serving as firm ground for launching a completed version of himself and with the last piece of the puzzle that he had needed, which was ‘confidence,’ he is now sailing forward like a boat riding on a high tide. This just goes to show that a tree with deep roots will end up shining brightly.

Even if Choi Hyo-jong was not sued by lawmaker Kang Yong-seok, he would have been named the funniest and sharpest comedian of "Gag Concert" this year. For his comedy, he used situations we are used to encountering in daily life, such as how much congratulatory money one should pay for weddings and what to do upon meeting a completely witless guy on a blind date, yet he pried into such questions with a perspective that none other had thought of. And with his part in another segment of the show, his detailed observation skills reached into the realms of social issues. His jokes get talked about for days after the show is aired on Sundays and made even a politician cower. What is most important is that amidst all this, Choi did not budge from the stage of "Gag Concert" and will continue to lampoon current events. One cannot help but acknowledge that he is really something.

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10 아시아 Reporter : Choi Ji-Eun five@
10 아시아 Reporter : Yoon Hee-Seong nine@
10 아시아 Reporter: Kim Hee Ju fifteen@
10 아시아 Reporter : Lee Ga-on
10 아시아 Editor : Jang Kyung-Jin three@
10 아시아 Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@