Broadcaster Lee Hwi-jae returned after four years, but experts say active activities are likely to be difficult.
Recently, critic Jeong Seok-hee evaluated Lee Hwi-jae's return to broadcasting on the YouTube channel "Jeong Seok-hee Television Critique" as "a blunder and a bad move that shows a complete disregard for public sentiment and only left wounds on both sides."
Jeong Seok-hee said, "Lee Hwi-jae did not commit a crime himself, and he was not subject to a suspension of grants, so if he insists on coming out, viewers can only watch and see," and he noted, "the broadcaster is indifferent to viewers' opinions."
In particular, critic Jeong directly criticized "Immortal Songs," which recruited Lee Hwi-jae. He said, "I think it would actually have been hard for Lee Hwi-jae to make a comeback. I could accept the classic three-part comeback package of reflection, tears and putting family first. But watching the broadcast, it went too far. Kim Joon-hyun was urged to sit in the host's seat, and Lee Hwi-jae, pretending he could not refuse, sat in that seat and hosted. It was the production team's will, not a sudden action by Kim Joon-hyun."
Jeong Seok-hee cited Lee Hwi-jae's outdated hosting style as a reason why his comeback would be difficult. He said, "He teases and puts others down and gossips, and fundamentally lacked consideration," and added, "Jun Hyun-moo and Yu Jae-seok both tease and do not fall behind anyone, but they strive constantly to read the room and understand how the world works."
Jeong concluded, "Is the cartel that has accumulated layer upon layer inside the broadcaster at work? I don't know whether some variety show production teams feel a sense of indebtedness to certain entertainers."
Lee Hwi-jae returned to broadcasting after about four years through KBS2's "Immortal Songs" '2026 entertainment world king special' that aired on March 28 and April 4. However, the captions and contrived hosting by the production team that seemed to pave the way for his return drew frowns. The broadcast's ratings remained in the 4% range, and many viewers have posted complaints on viewer boards, protesting the production team that recruited Lee Hwi-jae, and the backlash continues.
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