He was born in Baishan, Jilin, China, into an ethnic Korean family.

Although he had won numerous awards, he did not attract American nationwide attention until after his appearance on Late Show with David Letterman on April 17, 2009.

[3] His multiple appearances on TV, courtesy of Ellen DeGeneres, boosted his reputation further.

On St. Patrick’s Day, 2010, he headlined the annual dinner hosted by the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association.

In 2013, he moved back to Beijing, hosting television shows, such as Is it true?