Yoon Soo-il‘s Heartfelt Confession: The Untold Story of His Mother and the ’Miss Korea' Connection

[TV Daily reporter Hwang Seo‑yeon] Yoon Soo‑il, long regarded as a carved-visual star, recalls being known as "the man of Miss Korea."

On the night of the 25th, Yoon appears on episode 22 of MBN's variety program Kim Ju‑ha's Day & Night to revisit the 1970s and 1980s, when he was a regular on the celebratory stages of the Miss Korea pageant.

He won audiences with a flower-giving routine at the pageant. Actresses Ko Hyun‑jung and Oh Hyun‑kyung, who received his flowers, later rose to top honors, generating widespread buzz. When the three hosts praised his knack for spotting talent, Yoon quipped, "It's less a keen eye than a man's instinct," sending the studio into laughter.

Yoon also shares the unexpected backstory behind composing "Areumdawo (You're Beautiful),\" the designated song for the Miss Korea pageant that younger listeners now hail as an early influence on city pop. Standing 177 cm, he was among the taller singers of his era, and he wrote "Areumdawo" specifically for the Miss Korea events that frequently invited him. While recounting the song's origin, he unexpectedly warned, "You must know how to close a convertible," a humorous aside that raised curiosity about the link between convertibles and the song.

He also opens up about the discrimination his family endured growing up in a multicultural household. Born in 1955 to a Korean mother and a U.S. Air Force pilot, Yoon said his foreign looks prompted neighbors to shun them when his mother moved with him: "When my mother moved holding me, the neighborhood wouldn't accept us," he recalled. He then showed a photo of his mother, who came from Kangye in North Pyongan Province, a region famed for its many beauties, and shared a poignant memory. At the height of his popularity with his debut single "I Won't Only Love You," his mother was diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live. Although she asked him to sing his debut song, he couldn't bring himself to perform it for her right away.

On a lighter note, Yoon displayed his affection for his family by saying he named his daughter "Yoon Beauty," laughing, "She was so beautiful the moment she was born. I just pushed for it." He also moved the three hosts when he shared a warm message he gave his daughter after she felt stressed about her name at school.

Meanwhile, Kim Ju‑ha drew laughter with an offbeat remark: "Sometimes when I'm out with my son and I call 'mom,' he doesn't answer. If I say 'aunt' or 'older sister,' he responds." Viewers were amused by the comment, and many noted the steady, warm chemistry between Kim and Yoon throughout the interview.

Kim Ju‑ha's Day & Night positions itself as a new-concept, issue-driven talk show that blends daytime and nighttime perspectives—cool-headed analysis and passionate engagement, information and emotion. It airs every Saturday at 9:40 PM.

[TV Daily reporter Hwang Seo‑yeon news@tvdaily.co.kr / Photo=MBN]