As rumors that comedian Cho Sae-ho is acquainted with organized crime figures spread, criticism from internet users has not easily died down despite his agency strongly denying that the claims are completely unfounded. Immediately after various allegations surfaced, Cho Sae-ho disabled comments on his social media accounts and refrained from further explanation.
On the night of the 4th, A2Z Entertainment told OSEN, "All allegations regarding Cho Sae-ho that have recently arisen through social media are not true," drawing a line. The agency emphasized, "His relationship with the person identified as a member of organized crime is merely a casual acquaintance met through events, and there was no exchange of money or any transactional relationship."
Earlier, one social media account claimed that Cho Sae-ho maintained a friendship with Mr. Choi, who was alleged to be a "powerful figure in a violent organization," and that he participated in promoting a franchise run by Mr. Choi and received expensive gifts. The account added baseless claims that Mr. Choi was involved in operating illegal gambling sites and money laundering, pouring fuel on the controversy.
At the center of the controversy were photos showing Cho Sae-ho hugging or being together with Mr. Choi, which further spread the suspicions.
Despite the agency's immediate clarification, the official social media account for You Quiz on the Block was filled with protest comments from internet users. "Don't tarnish Yoo Jae-suk's image; step down on your own," "Is it okay to keep having him appear given this controversy?" "Production team, do your verification," and other responses followed, and the controversy did not easily subside.
Some internet users pointed out that it was inappropriate that Cho Sae-ho acknowledged Mr. Choi as a "simple acquaintance" and raised doubts about the explanation.
This controversy brings back memories of accumulated damage to Cho Sae-ho's image. In particular, he was criticized last October when W Korea fashion magazine's alleged "breast cancer drinking party" controversy mentioned him as well. Right after that controversy, he interviewed breast cancer patient Park Mi-sun on You Quiz and was criticized for "lacking sincerity," leaving public sentiment even colder.
In this atmosphere, Cho Sae-ho fully restricted comments on his social media accounts effective on the 5th. All of his posts currently display only the message "Comments for this post have been restricted."
During the earlier "breast cancer drinking party" controversy, his social media was flooded with critical comments, and with the added "organized crime acquaintance" rumor this time, the comment sections had essentially become a field of malicious comments. Ultimately, Cho Sae-ho appears to have disabled comments to prevent further spread of controversy, and despite his agency's strong denial, public sentiment remains chilly.
Cho Sae-ho is currently a core fixed member of tvN's You Quiz and KBS2's 2 Days & 1 Night season 4. Because image management is important for both variety programs, if the controversy surrounding Cho Sae-ho drags on, the production teams' dilemma will inevitably deepen.<
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]