Actor Ryu Su-young's cookbook hits 30th printing, recipe videos top 400 million views

Actor Ryu Su-young, who has been enjoying a career resurgence through his role as "Eonam Seonsaeng" on cooking variety programs, said his cookbook published last year has surpassed its 30th printing.

Ryu appeared on MBC's variety program "Radio Star" on July 1 and shared behind-the-scenes stories about developing the recipes and putting together his debut cookbook.

"It took about three to four years to prepare the book," he said. "A cookbook is something people read and immediately put into their mouths, so I felt there was no room for mistakes — that's why it took so long."

He added that more than 300 recipes had been revealed through his broadcasts, and that he had gathered 79 of the most accessible ones for the book. "So many people have shown their love for it that it passed 30 printings within a year of publication and reached No. 1 on the bestseller list," he said.

Host Kim Gu-ra, drawing on his own experience publishing a book, expressed surprise at the milestone. "Thirty printings means roughly 120,000 copies sold," he said. "Even getting a first printing isn't easy."

Ryu built his popularity by introducing foolproof home-cooking recipes on KBS 2TV's variety program "Convenience Store Restaurant." His recipe videos have exceeded 400 million total views.

As his recipes consistently drew attention, Ryu said he received a steady stream of offers to open a restaurant.

He said the proposals came in consistently but that he had turned them all down. "When I was doing 'Convenience Store Restaurant,' I had to come up with a new recipe every week, so I had no time," he said. However, when host Kim suggested that the right offer might change his mind, Ryu smiled and said, "That's true."

Ryu also revealed a long-held dream tied to cooking. "I've been keeping cooking notes since I was young," he said. "My dream has always been to become a grandfather who runs the most delicious restaurant in the neighborhood when I get older. I'd love to try running a noodle shop or a bakery."