IU Faces the Ultimate No-Laugh Birthday Challenge on Yoo Byung-jae’s YouTube Special
On May 16th, in celebration of her 32nd birthday, IU was featured in a hilarious installment of Yoo Byung-jae’s YouTube series, a concept program nicknamed the ‘No Laugh Birthday Party.’ Uploaded to Yoo Byung-jae’s YouTube channel, the event was a no-smile zone where laughter was penalized with warnings and temporary eviction to the ‘Free Smile Zone.’
Guests had to dress up or showcase talents to enter the party. Among the celebrity guests were renowned singer Noh Sa-yeon, comedian Moon Se-yoon, actress Kim Geum-soon (famous for her role as Jennie’s mom in Pokssak Sokatsuda), and numerous other delightfully disguised personalities.
Yoo Byung-jae, the host, showed up in a schoolgirl outfit, triggering chuckles even before the party officially started. When IU finally made her entrance, the entire room attempted to hold back their laughter as they applauded her. Battling giggles from the start, IU graciously thanked her guests for celebrating with her.
A standout moment came when Kim Geum-soon revealed herself as a surprise guest, testing IU’s poker face once again. Things escalated when Yoo Byung-jae asked a participant dressed as Tweety, “Have you tasted this chicken?” to which the response, “My mom…” left everyone struggling to stay serious. Yoo Byung-jae quickly clarified, “Tweety is a canary.”
Another highlight included the self-introduction segment. Moon Se-yoon captivated the room by impersonating actor Ju Hyun while singing IU’s track “Marshmallow,” leaving everyone in stitches. Additional guests came dressed as cabbages and celebrities from Pokssak, creating a surreal, humorous atmosphere.
Notably, one guest spoke in reverse — stating “Sincerely congratulations for your birthday” backward — and even sang a birthday song in reverse. Pushed by the absurdity, Moon Se-yoon followed up with a reverse rendition of “Marshmallow.”
In a touching moment, Noh Sa-yeon reflected on her 15-year friendship with IU, dating back to their 2010 collaboration on Heroes. She shared, “IU sends me gifts every holiday. I’m healthy thanks to Ji-eun.” She emphasized that she joined the event not to be funny, but to offer sincere congratulations.
The event concluded with a heartfelt and whimsical appearance by Park Jun-hyeong, who referred to IU as “Fanji-kkomangseu IU.”
Fans who watched the video commented, “It’s honestly harder to not laugh than expected,” and “IU’s expressions are the best part!”
Previous editions of the ‘No Laugh Birthday Party’ have featured stars like Lee Dong-hwi, NewJeans’ Hani, Byun Woo-seok, and Cha Eun-woo, making it a growing viral series in Korea’s digital variety space.
