Following Park Na-rae, who suspended activities over manager bullying and allegations involving an injection aunt, Cho Sae-ho, who was embroiled in allegations of ties to organized crime, also chose to step down.
On the morning of the 9th, Cho Sae-ho's agency A2Z Entertainment said, "Cho Sae-ho will leave tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block' and KBS 2TV's '2 Days & 1 Night.'"
That day, Cho Sae-ho's side said, "Cho Sae-ho feels a deep sense of responsibility for the misunderstandings and controversies recently raised about him. First, Cho Sae-ho fully recognizes the discomfort felt by viewers who love the program. He also does not want the production staff, who create the program with great effort, to carry a burden because of attention focused on him. After consulting with the program's production team, he decided to voluntarily step down."
They continued, "Cho Sae-ho and our agency intend to respond more sternly to this matter. Legal action to dispel misunderstandings surrounding Cho Sae-ho and to restore his damaged image will be pursued more swiftly and firmly in the future," and added, "We promise to completely dispel all current suspicions and return in good health."
Cho Sae-ho's side explained, "As we stated in our earlier official position, Cho Sae-ho is completely unrelated to Mr. Choi's business that has been the subject of allegations. We again make clear that the claim he received money or goods from Mr. Choi for business promotion is clearly not true."
Earlier, whistleblower A, who claimed that Cho Sae-ho was close with Mr. Choi, a key figure in the largest violent organization in the Geochang area and operator of an illegal online gambling site, alleged that Cho Sae-ho promoted Mr. Choi's franchise restaurant and received expensive gifts in return, presenting photos and circumstances as evidence. The released photos showed Cho Sae-ho and Mr. Choi drinking together or attending a wedding together.
In this regard, Cho Sae-ho's agency A2Z Entertainment drew a line, saying, "Mr. Choi is just a simple acquaintance, and there was no transactional relationship," and "We are preparing legal action over the spreading of false information." However, A later temporarily deleted posts then reappeared, hinting at additional revelations related to Cho Sae-ho. Ultimately, Cho Sae-ho said he would leave the programs he appears on and return only after everything is resolved.
Meanwhile, Park Na-rae, who faced criticism from allegations of manager bullying to controversies over illegal medical practices, announced on the previous day (the 8th) that she would suspend activities.
Park Na-rae said, "In early November, the two managers who had been like family suddenly resigned, and until recently we were not given a chance to speak with them, so misunderstandings accumulated," and added, "With the help of many people, I was able to meet with my former managers only yesterday, and while we were able to clear up misunderstandings and distrust between us, I still consider all of this my fault and am deeply reflecting."
She continued, "As a comedian whose job is to bring laughter and joy, I decided to suspend broadcasting activities until everything is cleanly resolved because I cannot continue to cause trouble for programs and colleagues. I bow my head and deeply apologize once again to everyone who has believed in and supported me."
Accordingly, Park Na-rae will leave MBC's 'I Live Alone', 'Save Me! Homes', and tvN's 'Amazing Saturday', where she had been appearing. The MBC program 'I' m Excited' and the web variety show 'Narae-sik' Daeseong episode that were scheduled to air have been entirely canceled.
With Cho Sae-ho and Park Na-rae choosing to leave programs amid successive revelations and controversies, attention is also focused on their future moves. It remains to be seen whether they can prove their innocence and return.
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]