SBS’s variety show “My Manager Is Too Picky – Secretary Team” (called “Secretary Team” below) has been steadily growing its viewer fanbase. In the episode aired on the 9th, the show featured an unusual and fun meeting: Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-gyu appeared as one-day managers for Ahn Yujin (IVE), who served as an MC for the 2025 SBS Gayo Daejeon, held on December 25, 2024.
Interestingly, both Lee Seo-jin and Ahn Yujin are known as “variety talents” closely linked to producer Na Young-seok—Lee Seo-jin through tvN’s “Three Meals a Day” series, and Ahn Yujin through “Earth Arcade.” Because of that, it felt like a rare “universe crossover” to see them together on an SBS show that is not connected to Na Young-seok.
With Kim Kwang-gyu—a late-blooming variety-show scene-stealer with a strong personality—joining in, a new kind of chemistry formed that felt like a “dad and daughter” relationship. The result was even more constant laughter and entertainment than in previous episodes. On top of that, past “My Star” guests like U-Know Yunho (TVXQ) and All Day Project also appeared, creating a moment where the show’s own “world” came together in one place.
SBS Gayo Daejeon is SBS’s biggest year-end music festival, held every year to sum up the music scene. Because it is a major live broadcast, it requires more effort and rehearsal time than typical music shows, starting from the day before. Ahn Yujin, who has already hosted six times (including summer events), had to start rehearsals from Christmas Eve, the day before the live show, and keep moving through a packed schedule.
The Secretary Team began supporting her from 7 a.m. on Christmas morning, riding in a car and heading to the venue in Yeongjongdo, Incheon—a tough start to the day. Since Kim Kwang-gyu is older than Yujin’s real father, Yujin decided to call the two managers “Abuji” (Dad) as a nickname, and both men happily went along with it.
But misunderstandings started early. When Yujin said she tries to live with a “queen mindset,” they misunderstood and thought she meant “Queen the rock band.” There were also communication issues during the process of ordering coffee for the staff. With these small errors piling up, it became clear their day as managers would be challenging.
Because Yujin couldn’t even eat properly due to the intense schedule and on-site conditions, Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-gyu searched for a cafe that opened early and got her simple food. They also created laughter with their bold, sitcom-like behavior: when IVE members said they wanted the trending “Dubai chewy cookie” (“Dubaj jjondeuk cookie”), they brought ordinary cookies and insisted they were the Dubai cookies.
They supported Yujin in many ways, even practicing her stage lines by taking the role of the male MC and matching her rhythm. During the day, there were also unexpected reunion moments with earlier guests such as U-Know Yunho and All Day Project.
As is typical for Secretary Team, the day ended with a dinner gathering. Since Yujin has a strong preference for Korean food and had hardly eaten all day, the team went to Kim Kwang-gyu’s nearby home, where he prepared a generous meal—braised pork ribs with kimchi (deunggalbi kimchi-jjim) and thick soybean paste stew (gang-doenjang)—wrapping up the episode on a warm and satisfying note.
In terms of pure manager “performance,” Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-gyu were still close to failing—mainly because the venue had huge staff numbers and everything moved so fast. But their energy, running around all day for a star who felt like a child or niece, was so sincere that both Yujin and viewers found it impressive.
The episode was especially interesting because it was the first time SBS showed Lee Seo-jin and Ahn Yujin—two 대표 “Na Young-seok-style variety stars”—together on one screen. Thanks to the “Dad” nickname, their chemistry felt natural and heartwarming, making it hard not to smile while watching, and it created more laughs than expected.
Lee Seo-jin had watched “Earth Arcade,” so he already felt familiar with Yujin. Still, seeing Ahn Yujin as a singer on a real year-end stage was a first for him, and he praised her for handling the chaotic live environment so well. Another warm moment came when they carefully exchanged questions and answers about hair loss, a topic that could be sensitive, and Yujin’s thoughtful attitude stood out.
Overall, Secretary Team delivered an episode with strong planning and added value by creating a crossover-like “universe integration” that went beyond network boundaries. The show has consistently built balanced entertainment by following different celebrities’ workdays each week, and this episode continued that strength.
