Season 2 of Chansung’s Cooking will reach viewers from Hong Kong to Myanmar, proving that a simple celebrity YouTube series can grow into lasting international entertainment.
What began as 2PM member Hwang Chansung exploring restaurants and recreating their most popular dishes has developed into something much larger.
Season 2 of his cooking series Lee Yochan will air through tvN Asia in eight markets: Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Myanmar.
The new season marks the fourth year that the program has reached Asian television audiences. That longevity makes its journey more notable than a one-time overseas licensing deal.
Lee Yochan began as content created for Chansung’s official YouTube channel. It later moved onto tvN Asia under the English title Chansung’s Cooking, receiving a regular television slot before returning with newly produced episodes.
Even the Korean Title Is a Chansung Joke
The program’s Korean name, I Yori Chanseong, works as a playful pun.
It can be understood as “I approve of this dish,” but it also incorporates Chansung’s name. That wordplay captures the show’s casual personality: Chansung tastes a dish, gives it his approval and then attempts to understand how it was made.
The format takes him beyond a conventional studio kitchen.
He visits popular restaurants, long-established local eateries and newly opened dining spots to try their signature menus. He then relies on his own palate and observations to recreate the dish through a personal recipe.
That second step gives the series its identity. Viewers are not only watching a celebrity eat and react. They get to see whether Chansung can translate a restaurant experience into something he can prepare himself.
The original episodes remain available through the program’s official YouTube channel.
Why the Format Travels Well
Food content is particularly suited to international expansion because viewers do not need extensive knowledge of Korean entertainment to understand what is happening.
A delicious-looking dish, a surprised reaction and an ambitious recreation attempt can communicate across language barriers. Subtitles add context, but the visual pleasure of cooking does much of the work.
Chansung also occupies a useful position between expert and beginner.
He is not presented as a professional chef delivering a technical lesson. He approaches food with curiosity, experiments with recipes and allows the audience to see the uncertainty behind the final result.
That creates two forms of enjoyment. Fans can watch Chansung’s personality emerge through his reactions, while food lovers can discover Korean restaurants and dishes regardless of whether they follow 2PM.
2PM Built the Foundation, but the Show Created Its Own Life
Chansung’s agency, L’July Entertainment, credited the Asian fanbase he developed through 2PM as an important foundation for the show’s expansion.
That influence should not be underestimated.
Since debuting in 2008, 2PM has maintained a strong presence across Asia, particularly through concerts, Japanese releases and individual activities. Viewers who first knew Chansung as the group’s youngest member have followed him into acting, variety programs and now food content.
His acting career has introduced him to another audience. Roles in productions such as What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, So I Married the Anti-Fan and True to Love expanded his recognition beyond K-pop fans. His appearance in Bloodhounds Season 2 reportedly brought additional international attention to his work.
However, an established fanbase can encourage people to watch the first episode. It cannot automatically keep a program on television for four years.
The continued broadcasts and production of a second season suggest that Chansung’s Cooking has developed value beyond celebrity curiosity.
The Show Was Already an Unusual Success
The series first reached tvN Asia in April 2023, when its initial episodes were distributed across nine Asian markets. It later secured a regular prime-time television slot, an uncommon transition for independently branded Korean YouTube content.
That development reversed the familiar media path.
Television programs are frequently edited into shorter clips for YouTube. Lee Yochan moved in the opposite direction, beginning as digital content before proving suitable for scheduled regional broadcasting.
Season 2 now confirms that the move was not a temporary experiment.
A Personal Brand Built Around Curiosity
The program also demonstrates how an idol can build a sustainable personal project without abandoning the identity that first made him famous.
Chansung is still a member of 2PM and continues working as an actor. Lee Yochan, however, gives him something separate: a format shaped around his own interests, humor and willingness to experiment.
It does not require an album promotion cycle or a drama role. As long as there are interesting restaurants and recipes to explore, the concept can continue evolving.
The eight-market rollout shows that Chansung’s global appeal remains strong. More importantly, it proves that a modest YouTube idea can gain its own audience, cross into television and remain on air long enough to earn a second season.