Lee Yi-kyung disclosed conflict with the Hangout With Yoo production team, public sentiment turns cold, will Heo Kyung-hwan fill Lee Yi-kyung's spot?
The actor Lee Yi-kyung, who stepped down from variety shows one after another amid personal life rumors, directly revealed conflicts with MBC's Hangout With Yoo production team, causing a stir. The production team issued an apology, but viewer sentiment remains chilly. Interest is also high over Lee Yi-kyung's vacancy.
#. Lee Yi-kyung "I was not the one who voluntarily left; it was the production team's suggestion"… he even revealed editing controversy over the face-wiping scene
On the 21st, Lee Yi-kyung said on social media that the personal life rumors about him were false and that he had already begun legal action. He claimed that beyond the rumors he was "encouraged to leave because of the controversy, and we only followed the request to frame it as a voluntary departure," publicly revealing the production team's "suggested departure" for the first time.
He also said, "During the face-wiping controversy I said I didn't want to do it, but the production team asked, and the line I said, 'it's for variety,' was edited out," criticizing the lack of protection for cast members.
He later expressed disappointment with the overall production environment, saying he learned of his replacement as MC on KBS2's The Return of SUPERMAN through an article.
#. Production team: "We are sorry we could not protect him"… they released an apology but viewer reactions are cold
In response, the Hangout With Yoo production team posted an official apology the morning of the broadcast. They admitted errors, saying the request to reattempt the face-wiping was "greedy," that editing out "it's for variety" was a "judgment mistake," and that "it is true we first suggested leaving amid the rumor spread," but viewer reactions stayed cold all day. Online criticism continued with comments such as "The repeated failure to protect cast members," "Why do they always make departures so noisy?," and "The apology came too late."
Past members such as Jung Joon-ha, Shin Bong-sun, Lee Mi-joo and Park Jin-joo were recalled over their departures, raising concerns about the program's internal atmosphere.
#. The episode of Hangout With Yoo that aired immediately after the controversy kept a bright tone… viewers said "it felt like they were trying to sweep it under the rug"
The Hangout With Yoo episode that aired on the 22nd, right after the controversy, was a workshop special for "Insamo (the gathering of unpopular people)," emphasizing a lighter tone and brighter atmosphere than usual.
Parodies of airport commute, Jung Joon-ha's explanation of the "scalp controversy," the appearance of Choi Hong-man's romantic interest and other varied variety elements mixed together as the production team showed a will to maintain the program's usual comic flow as much as possible.
But some viewers reacted that it was "awkwardly bright" and that they felt a "current of trying to calmly cover up the controversy."
#. Lee Yi-kyung's vacancy… will Heo Kyung-hwan naturally fill the lineup?
What stood out in this broadcast was the presence of Heo Kyung-hwan, who is being mentioned as a "new lineup candidate." From the elementary school "dropout rumor" to airport fashion and witty reactions, he led segments and was evaluated as naturally filling the vacancy.
In the closing preview, Heo Kyung-hwan also hinted at his role in the next episode, and some analysts suggested, "Won't the structure be that Heo Kyung-hwan fills Lee Yi-kyung's spot for a while?"
#. Attention focuses on future lineup reorganization
The production team said it had resolved the controversy related to Lee Yi-kyung, but viewers are on alert for future program lineup changes. On social media and online communities, comments continued such as "possible Heo Kyung-hwan regular?," "I'm curious how they will fill Lee Yi-kyung's spot," and "restoring trust in the production team comes first."
After Lee Yi-kyung's revelation and the production team's apology, attention is focused on how Hangout With Yoo will continue internal reorganization amid the fallout from the controversy.
[Photo] OSEB DB, Hangout With Yoo?
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