Broadcaster Lee Hwi-jae is set to return after four years amid continuing controversy, and public opinion is heating up over comedian Yoon Hyung-bin's public defense of him. It remains to be seen whether public sentiment can be swayed.
Earlier, Lee Hwi-jae announced his return through KBS2TV's 'Immortal Songs: 2026 entertainment industry king of entertainers.' But as soon as the return news spread, negative reactions poured in on viewers' boards. Eventually, there were even calls to boycott the episode in which he appeared.
In this situation, Yoon Hyung-bin publicly came out to defend Lee Hwi-jae. Yoon Hyung-bin directly said, "I may not know everything, but at least the senior I have known was a good person," and added, "So many people say otherwise that it makes me wonder if there's something I don't know. (But) he was always a good person both in private and on broadcasts. Please support him," lending his support.
The two are known to have been close for a long time. Lee Hwi-jae showed his friendship by visiting Yoon Hyung-bin's arena in person. Therefore, this remark also appears to stem from trust as close friends.
However, there are many who view Yoon Hyung-bin's public endorsement as having rather amplified Lee Hwi-jae's controversy. With negative public opinion already surrounding Lee Hwi-jae, additional remarks have been met with responses that they 'made things worse.' In fact, Lee Hwi-jae's name has been appearing one after another in recent entertainment outlets and portal real-time issues. In addition, Yoon Hyung-bin mentioned Lee Hwi-jae's name once more, making him a topic again. The return itself seems to be receiving less attention than the controversy and reactions.
Meanwhile, in the 'Immortal Songs' preview, Lee Hwi-jae cautiously opened his remarks, saying, "I will greet you after a long time," and was seen wiping his eyes, and a tense look backstage was captured. He showed the full burden of preparing for his return. Nevertheless, past controversies over his on-air behavior and private life have been reexamined, and cold responses continue. Producers who said they cast him for his "public fame" were criticized for "not considering public sentiment," with noise saying that likeability among the public is more important than fame.
With a colleague's public support added to this, public perception has become even more divided. The gap between how colleagues describe Lee Hwi-jae and the image the public remembers remains unclosed, and attention is focused on whether his return can actually turn public opinion around.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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