IVE's An Yujin Charms Viewers on 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator' with Hilarious Name Request

IVE leader An Yujin delivered a memorable appearance on JTBC's Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, where her well-known insistence on being called by her first name alone created one of the show's funniest moments this season.

The March 1 broadcast of the long-running cooking variety show's 60th episode featured An Yujin alongside GOT7 member and actor Park Jinyoung as special guests. From the moment she sat down, the 22-year-old idol made it clear that there was one ground rule she expected everyone to follow.

The Name That Must Not Be Spoken

MC Kim Sungju opened the topic by noting that he had heard An Yujin should not be called by her full name. The statement puzzled some of the celebrity chefs on set, while others nodded knowingly, already familiar with the idol's famous preference.

An Yujin explained her reasoning with characteristic directness, saying that while other guests typically get called by their given names in a friendly manner, people tend to use her full surname-and-name combination — "An Yujin" — which feels overly formal to her. She warmly requested that everyone on set simply call her "Yujin" to create a more intimate atmosphere.

Despite her heartfelt plea, MC Kim Sungju slipped up not once but twice during the broadcast, calling her "An Yujin" both times. The idol's deadpan reaction each time drew roaring laughter from the studio. After the second offense, An Yujin quipped, "I even gave you treats earlier, and this is what I get in return," playfully expressing mock disappointment. Kim Sungju quickly apologized and corrected himself to "Yujin-ie" for the remainder of the show.

A Meme That Keeps Giving

An Yujin's name preference has become one of the most beloved running jokes in Korean entertainment. The meme gained massive traction after a February 2025 appearance on the YouTube channel BDNS, where her stern reaction to being called "An Yujin" went viral across online communities and social media.

Since then, the topic has come up in encounters with some of the biggest names in Korean television, including legendary producer Na Young-seok and national MC Yoo Jae-suk, both of whom have been asked to use her preferred name. Even her fellow IVE members have been known to playfully tease her by deliberately using her full name.

Beyond the Laughs: A Culinary Showcase

The episode was not all about names, however. An Yujin's refrigerator reveal drew considerable attention, with viewers curious about what the K-pop star keeps stocked at home. The cooking segment featured intense battles between the show's resident chefs, with performance-loving rivals Jung Ho-young and Park Eun-young facing off in a heated first-round matchup.

Jung Ho-young attempted to gain an edge by performing IVE's signature choreography in meticulous detail, while Park Eun-young countered with her own distinctive moves and trademark intense gaze. The second round saw chefs Son Jong-won and Kwon Seong-jun compete over trendy desserts, with Son presenting an elegant K-dessert and Kwon crafting a modern creation using hand-made kadaif to appeal to younger taste buds.

An Yujin's adorable reactions during the tasting segments — including a moment where she stared into the camera with foam on her lips — added to the episode's charm and quickly became shareable clips across fan communities. The show airs Saturday evenings at 9 PM on JTBC.