There is a comedian currently dominating YouTube. It is Lee Sun-min, who is riding a wave of success by emphasizing the “First Penguin’s attitude” of embracing uncertainty.
On the May 16 episode of the MBC variety show ‘Hangout with Yoo’, Lee Sun-min appeared alongside Yoo Jae-suk, Haha, Heo Kyung-hwan, Joo Woo-jae, and Yang Sang-guk. The episode was themed ‘War of Money in Changwon’.
Wearing a wig, Lee Sun-min introduced himself to Yoo Jae-suk as being born in 1988, the same year as G-Dragon, sparking hilarious reactions from the members. Joining as the youngest, he blended into the show as the “Gumi Ssik-ssiki” character, taking care of his seniors. Sitting next to Yoo Jae-suk in the car, he led the atmosphere as a human navigation system with his reactions, songs, comments, and physical comedy.
Behind his current success lies a period of endurance where he had to start from the bottom after losing his stage. This is not his first time appearing on terrestrial TV. He debuted as the runner-up of the 16th SBS open recruitment for comedians in 2016, but SBS’s ‘Utgat-sa’ was canceled just a year later. Having lost his place, he entered the world of YouTube with comedian Jo Hoon.
It was not smooth sailing at first, but his consistency paid off. He began building his career through the YouTube channel ‘Myeonsang-deul’, which led to ‘The Myeonsang’, and he started gaining recognition through ‘Meta Comedy Club’. He received particularly a lot of love through a “home raid” content on ‘Yongju’s Lee Yong-ju’, the personal channel of ‘Psick University’ comedian Lee Yong-ju.
The video featured Lee Yong-ju and comedian Yoo Young-woo raiding Lee Sun-min’s home while he was resting, capturing the three friends spending quality time together. The project received a great response for evoking nostalgia for childhood friendships.
By revealing his home, Lee Sun-min emerged as a new trendsetter and even created the catchphrase “With the attitude of a First Penguin.” A “First Penguin” refers to the first penguin to dive into the ocean from a colony, symbolizing a pioneer who opens a new path.
Beyond that, Lee Sun-min has shown incredible buzz by appearing in numerous external contents across various platforms. Notably, he built a likable image through driving lesson content with RESCENE’s Woni, as well as appearing on Woni’s personal channel, ‘Hello I am Woni Please Take Care of Me’.
His presence in variety shows is also noteworthy. On MBC’s ‘Radio Star’, he caused laughter when he was mistaken for a married man and a father of many children, and he has already enjoyed significant popularity appearing on JTBC’s ‘Knowing Bros’.
The reason Lee Sun-min is entering the mainstream is thanks to the solid skills hidden behind his friendly image. Within his sly and bold character lies freshness, high-level acting skills, and wit. In fact, Lee Sun-min proved his wide acting spectrum by debuting on the big screen in the movie ‘You Are the Apple of My Eye’.
Fans are happily celebrating his full-scale entry into terrestrial broadcasting. Lee Yong-ju expressed joy over Lee Sun-min’s success on an SNS announcement channel, saying, “We did it,” and Lee Sun-min added an emotional message, saying, “Thank you, my First Penguins.”
Keeping the momentum, Lee Sun-min is set to appear on MBC’s ‘I Live Alone’. He will share his daily life and showcase his expertise from 19 years of living alone. All eyes are on the flight of “First Penguin” Lee Sun-min as he dives into the ocean of legacy media.
