I am calm, but those around me never have a quiet moment. Lee Yi-kyung, who suffered embarrassment from private life rumors, ultimately left the program over overseas schedule coordination issues, and Cho Sae-ho was embroiled in controversy over a "breast cancer party." On top of that, there was a producer who faced false accusations over a sexual scandal. This is the story of national MC Yoo Jae-suk, who has had colleagues embroiled in controversy in every show he appears in.
On the 4th, the production team of the MBC entertainment program Hangout With Yoo announced Lee Yi-kyung's departure. They said, "Lee Yi-kyung had many concerns about participating in the program due to schedules including overseas commitments, and recently expressed his intention to leave." The Hangout With Yoo production team said, "We respect Lee Yi-kyung's opinion and decided after discussion to support each other's paths. We thank Lee Yi-kyung for showing passion despite his busy schedule," and added, "We will continue to do our best to present good content."
Although the departure was said to be unavoidable due to overseas schedules, Lee Yi-kyung's sudden exit still raised questions. This was because he had previously been caught up in rumors of a sexual scandal. Last month, an overseas internet user posted an exposé on domestic and international social media claiming that they had exchanged sexual messages with Lee Yi-kyung and that there were even mentions of sexual crimes.
In response, Lee Yi-kyung's side emphasized that the allegations were "groundless" and said they had already received an email claiming "false information" amid an earlier threat, yet this absurd exposé appeared and they would continue legal action. The internet user apologized, saying the post was manipulated and created by AI, but when there was no announcement of a complaint, speculation about a possible "settlement" arose and the malicious comments against Lee Yi-kyung continued.
In the end, Lee Yi-kyung's side said they had completed the legal complaint procedure, and only after announcing comprehensive lawsuits not only against the internet user who alleged false information but also against malicious comments and harmful posts was the rumor lifted. However, Hangout With Yoo ultimately appears to have had him leave due to scheduling issues.
Coincidentally, Yoo Jae-suk has been embroiled in off-air controversies in other shows beyond Hangout With Yoo. On the previous day, the 3rd, a suspicion was raised that a producer of the tvN entertainment series Sixth Sense was accused of sexual assault. Earlier, on the 31st of last month, reports emerged that a famous entertainment producer identified as A had been accused of sexual assault. The well-known entertainment program in question was identified as the Sixth Sense series.
A's side said that B caused complaints from juniors and colleagues, seniors and even external collaborators, resulting in a transfer from the existing team, and although they desperately tried to patch things up, even conversations as part of that effort ended in disputes, and they denied that the sexual assault allegation was true at all. They said that at the time a company dinner attended by about 160 people was breaking up, the only contact was tapping each other's shoulders or arm-around-shoulder level contact.
But B's side claimed, "It happened in the process of moving locations and going home right after the second round of the company dinner. Most people were standing on the street preparing to move to the third round, when the alleged perpetrator approached the victim and suddenly massaged the victim's upper arm and neck," and argued, "Five days after the alleged sexual assault occurred, on the morning of Aug. 20 the victim was notified by the alleged perpetrator that they would be removed from the program. Until then there had been no particular conflict between the victim and the alleged perpetrator, and the victim had never been told anything by the alleged perpetrator about work-related criticisms, warnings or improvements."
Meanwhile, another tvN entertainment show, You Quiz on the Block (abbreviated You Quiz), has come under scrutiny. Comedian junior colleague Cho Sae-ho, who appears with Yoo Jae-suk, was criticized for attending a social party hosted by a magazine that was dubbed a "breast cancer party."
Moreover, comedian senior colleague Park Mi-sun, who returned after treatment following a battle with breast cancer, recently appeared as a guest on You Quiz. Cho Sae-ho's attendance at the "breast cancer party" prompted backlash over whether it was appropriate for him to participate in an interview with Park Mi-sun, who is a breast cancer survivor. The magazine in question apologized and deleted related posts, and the controversy seemed to settle for the moment, but moral criticism is still widespread.
Because Yoo Jae-suk has long been praised for his charitable acts, donations and good deeds, the controversies surrounding those close to him invite painful comparisons. When will the storms shaking the "national MC" finally subside?
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by tvN.
[OSEN]