Yoo Jae Suk, the beloved host known as Korea's "national MC," is facing criticism for allegedly making racially insensitive remarks during a recent episode of tvN’s 'You Quiz on the Block'. 

The controversy arose from comments made during the show’s “Foreigners in Name Only” special, with some viewers arguing that had the remarks been made overseas, they would have been considered racially insensitive. Upon closer examination of the remarks and similar international incidents, it appears that Yoo Jae Suk's words may have caused misunderstandings that could be viewed as problematic.

Recently, 'You Quiz' featured a special episode focusing on foreigners who have settled and built lives in Korea. Guests included Leo Ranta, Amarachi, and Michael Leidman. When they appeared on the show, Yoo Jae Suk asked Leo Ranta, “Where are you from?” to which he responded, “I’m originally from Suji, Yongin. My hometown is in Yangjae, where my father is. I came to Korea from Finland when I was 100 days old.” Leo also explained that he had lived in Korea for nearly 25 years and mentioned that he briefly went back to Finland near the end of elementary school, but he didn’t know the Finnish language well at the time.

When Amarachi introduced herself, saying, “I was born in Itaewon, Seoul, but my nationality is Nigerian,” Yoo Jae Suk seemed surprised and asked, “Have you never been to Nigeria?” Amarachi responded, “I was born and raised here. I’ve never been on a plane or a ship. Only my nationality is foreign.”

Despite not being Korean by nationality, both Leo and Amarachi were born or raised in Korea, and Leo had been living there for 25 years. Yet, throughout the episode, Yoo Jae Suk repeatedly expressed surprise at their fluency in Korean, saying things like “You speak Korean so well” and “Your accent and everything are just like a Korean’s.” His amazement at their pronunciation and fluency continued throughout the show.

Following the broadcast, some viewers raised concerns about Yoo Jae Suk's comments and his approach to the guests. The core of the criticism was that commenting on someone’s ability to “speak like a Korean” based solely on their appearance could be seen as racially insensitive in some international contexts.

A similar incident occurred in 2018 when NCT’s Mark, a Korean-Canadian, was asked during an interview with an American broadcaster, “Are you from Canada?” When he confirmed, they responded, “Your English is really good,” evaluating his language skills despite English being his native language. 

This comment was criticized as a racially insensitive remark, both inside and outside Canada, as it was based on the assumption that someone of Asian appearance might not be proficient in English—a stereotype and form of discrimination long experienced by Korean expatriates.

However, some viewers defended Yoo Jae Suk, arguing that his remarks were not racially insensitive since they were directed at foreigners, not Koreans, and that his amazement stemmed from seeing people who looked distinctly non-Korean speaking fluent Korean. 

Considering Yoo Jae Suk’s long-standing reputation for being considerate and respectful in his interactions, these viewers suggested that the issue might be a misunderstanding. Still, from a "global standard" perspective, some believe that such remarks could lead to misinterpretations and should be avoided in the future to prevent further misunderstandings.