'Amid reports that broadcaster Cho Sae-ho voluntarily left the entertainment programs he was appearing on in the wake of so‑called 'organized crime involvement' allegations, attention is focusing on the direction of tvN's You Quiz on the Block. Meanwhile, in a preview released after the decision to leave, Cho Sae-ho appears without being edited out, drawing attention.
On the 9th, tvN's You Quiz on the Block told OSEN, "We respect Cho Sae-ho's decision to leave after deep consideration, and he will not participate in production of this program from future recordings." It added, "The two weeks' worth of episodes that have already been recorded will air as scheduled, and this week's recording is difficult to cancel because of commitments to guests who were scheduled to appear, so it will proceed without Cho Sae-ho."
On the same day, Cho Sae-ho's agency A2Z Entertainment also issued an official statement saying Cho Sae-ho will voluntarily leave tvN's You Quiz on the Block and KBS2's 2 Days & 1 Night. The agency said, "Cho Sae-ho decided to leave after concluding he did not want to burden viewers and production staff because of recent misunderstandings and controversies surrounding him."
Cho Sae-ho was embroiled in suspicions of close ties with Mr. Choi, who is known as a mob boss accused of operating illegal gambling sites and money laundering. One internet user released a photo of Cho Sae-ho with Mr. Choi and alleged acceptance of expensive gifts and involvement in franchise promotion. Cho Sae-ho's side rebutted, "He is simply an acquaintance met through various events and broadcasting activities, and there were no paid gifts or inappropriate relationships."
However, as the controversy spread and calls for his departure continued, Cho Sae-ho eventually stepped down from the two programs where he was a regular. After 2 Days & 1 Night, You Quiz on the Block, which has been hosted by the two MCs Yu Jae-seok and Cho Sae-ho, has drawn attention on whether Yu Jae-seok will host alone or whether a new MC will be recruited. Production said, "This week's recording will proceed with Yu Jae-seok hosting alone without Cho Sae-ho."
Meanwhile, the preview of You Quiz on the Block released that day became a topic again. Ahead of the broadcast on the 9th, the production released a preview video titled "Kim Soo-yong, who suffered cardiac arrest for 20 minutes and miraculously returned," and Cho Sae-ho appears in the video without being edited, as before. As the production had said earlier, they have maintained the policy of broadcasting already completed recordings and related content as is. Viewers responded with comments such as "They are sticking to their position" and "For the time being, there's a 분위기 of respecting the existing recorded material," and interest continues about what changes will follow in future broadcasts.
After Cho Sae-ho's departure, viewers' attention is focused on how You Quiz on the Block will continue to change.
[photo] You Quiz
[OSEN]