Original trot stars Lim Young-woong, Young Tak, and Lee Chan-won—who rose to fame during TV CHOSUN’s 2020 broadcast of Mr. Trot—maintain an unwavering presence in the entertainment industry by expanding their professional domains into variety shows, hosting, and cooking.
Original Trot Trio Maintains Industry Dominance Years After Competition
Years after capturing nationwide attention through Mr. Trot, the original trot trio—Jin (Lim Young-woong), Seon (Young Tak), and Mi (Lee Chan-won)—continue to anchor the Korean entertainment landscape. According to OSEN, newer competition programs like Season 2 and Season 3 have introduced fresh talent to the public, yet the original trio’s influence remains steady. Instead of relying solely on music releases, all three artists leveraged television appearances throughout the year to showcase distinct personal brands across variety and talk shows.
Lim Young-woong Expands Healing Variety Success
Lim Young-woong secured his unique entertainment style with healing variety programs for two consecutive years, following his appearance in SBS’s Island Bachelor Hero last year. This year, the singer starred in Mountain Village Bachelor Hero, sharing unpretentious moments of rural life alongside castmates Cha Seung-won, Heo Kyung-hwan, Zo Zazz, Hyun Bong-sik, and Roy Kim. The program combined outdoor relationship-building with intimate mountain village concerts that highlighted both his musical output and personal charm. OSEN reported that due to positive viewer response, the network extended the program from its original six episodes to seven.
Young Tak Balances Third Regular Album With Diverse TV Appearances
Young Tak promoted his third regular album, GOGO, released on September 14, 2026, while maintaining a heavy schedule across multiple television networks. In February, he joined tvN’s Naked History as a fixed cast member, contributing historical insights through active questioning and situational skits. His broadcasting footprint extended to SBS’s The Golden Age of Our Neighborhood alongside Lee Kyung-kyu, DinDin, and Lee Won-il, as well as KBS 2TV programs like Fun-Staurant and The Return of Superman. Additionally, he appeared on MBC’s Chuseok special of Radio Star.
Lee Chan-won Cements Versatile Entertainer Status Through Hosting and Cooking
Lee Chan-won solidified his position as a professional entertainer following his historic win as the youngest male solo winner at the 2024 KBS Entertainment Awards. Returning to KBS 2TV’s Fun-Staurant as ‘Chan-tto Chef’ in August, he recorded his 10th career win on the cooking program. His broadcasting reach further expanded when he joined the 15th-anniversary special of KBS 1TV’s Koreans’ Table alongside Choi Soo-jong and chef Yoon Joo-mo to cook for foreign guests, and took on hosting duties for MBC’s Surprise Mystery Salon.
Quick Facts on the Mr. Trot Trio
- Lim Young-woong: Extended his nature-based variety show Mountain Village Bachelor Hero to seven episodes following strong ratings.
- Young Tak: Released his third regular album, GOGO, on September 14, 2026, while maintaining fixed roles in humanities and observational programs.
- Lee Chan-won: Earned his 10th cooking win on Fun-Staurant and hosted MBC’s Surprise Mystery Salon.
broadcast milestones and program extension details for trot stars
What was the viewer response to Lim Young-woong’s Mountain Village Bachelor Hero?
Due to positive public reception, the program was extended from its originally planned six episodes to a total of seven.
What milestones has Lee Chan-won achieved in broadcasting?
He also secured his 10th win on KBS 2TV’s Fun-Staurant.
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