At the 'Pinggego' awards ceremony attended even by actor Hwang Jung-min, comedian Cho Sae-ho, who was at least nominated for the grand prize, ultimately could not be seen.
On the morning of the 20th, a video titled "10 minutes before the third Pinggego awards ceremony" was posted on the YouTube channel DdeunDdeun. The released video captured the scene at the venue exactly 10 minutes before the start of the recently held third Pinggego awards ceremony.
Earlier, the Pinggego production team announced the four nominees for the grand prize at the third ceremony and conducted voting. Nam Chang-hee, Yang Se-chan, Cho Sae-ho, Ji Seok-jin. Among them, eldest brother Ji Seok-jin was named a strong candidate for the grand prize by close younger colleagues such as actor Lee Kwang-soo, raising expectations. In addition, both Nam Chang-hee and Yang Se-chan were present. However, one seat, Cho Sae-ho, could not be seen.
Cho Sae-ho recently halted all broadcasting activities after being engulfed in allegations of ties to organized crime. An internet user with the nickname "Pyo Geomsa" raised suspicions on personal social media that Cho Sae-ho was in a close relationship with a man surnamed Choi, who is said to be a member of the largest criminal organization in the Geochang area. The user released photos that appeared to show Cho Sae-ho with Choi from past shoots and also pointed out that Cho Sae-ho promoted Choi's franchise restaurant and received expensive gifts, suggesting a relationship with compensation involved.
At first, Cho Sa-heo's side denied the relationship with Choi as "merely acquaintances." In particular, concerning compensatory gifts, they called the allegations "groundless" and took a hard line, even mentioning legal action.
However, the mood changed after "Pyo Geomsa" mentioned Cho Sae-ho's wife and hinted at additional revelations. In the end, Cho Sae-ho halted all broadcasting activities and withdrew from every program he had been appearing on. They said they would continue legal action over the spread of false information, but there has been no further statement on concrete judicial procedures.
As a result, Cho Sae-ho withdrew entirely from programs including tvN variety show You Quiz on the Block, on which he had regularly appeared with Yu Jae-seok, and KBS 2TV variety show 2 Days & 1 Night. On the episode of You Quiz on the Block that aired on the 17th, Yu Jae-seok appeared alone as the host. During the broadcast, Yu Jae-seok could not easily continue, saying, "I've been together for a long time, as have the production staff, but thinking I have to host alone," and expressed a conflicted mind. However, he added a plea to Cho Sae-ho, saying, "As you said yourself, I hope this becomes a useful time to look back on yourself once more."
Three days later, the scene at the Pinggego awards was revealed. Although Pinggego purports to be an intimate celebration for its participants, it nonetheless involved grand prize nominees. Moreover, previous grand prize winners—actors Lee Dong-wook and Hwang Jung-min—also attended, and the lineup of glamorous attendees rivaled that of any awards ceremony. Actors Lee Sung-min and Han Ji-min, Ko Kyung-pyo, Kim So-hyun, Song Seung-heon, Yoon Kyung-ho, Lee Kwang-soo, Lee Sang-yi, Jung Sang-hoon, Ji Ye-eun, Choi Daniel, Han Sang-jin, plus singer Hwasa, 2PM's Jang Woo-young and model Joo Woo-jae, comedians Heo Kyung-hwan and Hong Hyun-hee, Song Eun-i, Kim Young-chul, Cho Hye-ryeon, Haha, band Peppertones, Oh My Girl's Mimi, former mixed martial artist Kim Dong-hyun, singers Jung Seung-hwan and Wooz, grand prize nominees Nam Chang-hee, Yang Se-chan, and Ji Seok-jin. Apart from Yu Jae-seok, 32 people gathered together.
The lavish scene, which made Cho Sae-ho's absence hardly noticeable, drew even more attention. Unable to attend while reflecting on his life is expected to be all the more painful. The third Pinggego awards ceremony will be released at 9 a.m. Sunday, the 21st.
[Photo] OSEN DB, YouTube source.
[OSEN]