Comedian Yang Sang-guk said he crossed the line because his desire to be funny came first as he addressed recent controversy over his attitude. He said he apologized for what needed apologizing after the controversy and is thinking about how far he should go on air.
On the TV CHOSUN show Chosun's Lovers that aired on the 1st, Yang Sang-guk was shown confiding in fellow comedian Park Young-jin. As soon as Yang met Park, he let out a deep sigh, revealing his complicated feelings. Park said, "You've been through a lot. It's tough these days, right?" and added, "The Yang Sang-guk I know would be blaming himself after hearing that story." Yang said, "This is my first time experiencing something like this," and "It's my first time receiving this much love and also my first time taking this much criticism. It would be a lie to say it isn't hard."
Regarding the attitude controversy, he explained that his ambition for airtime came first. Yang said, "For comedians, if you went on a show and didn't say a word or didn't clown around, they wouldn't use you," and "I was greedy to make people laugh with a hard-won opportunity. In doing so, I overdid it and made mistakes." He added, "I'm grappling with how far I should go."
Watching this, Kim Kook Jin advised, "Through that kind of process, you don't keep the line; you expand it," and "Sang-guk will have grown more through this experience."
Park Young-jin noted the difficulty of comedy but said the public's reaction must be accepted. He said, "There's no right answer in comedy. You never know what will be funny, but you try your best to make people laugh," while adding, "But if the public says it makes them uncomfortable, that's the right answer. Our job is to live on the public's love." When Park asked if he had apologized to Yu Jae-seok and Kim Haejun, Yang answered, "We're getting along very well. I addressed what needed addressing and apologized for what needed apologizing," and added, "If I did wrong, I apologize and then I have to do better."
Yang Sang-guk was embroiled in an attitude controversy after appearing on the DdeunDdeun channel's Pinggyego content released on the 2nd of last month. At the time, during a conversation about views on dating, he addressed Yu Jae-seok as "Mr. Yu Jae-seok" and said, "If you say it one more time, I'll scold you," drawing criticism from some viewers. Later, on tvN's Amazing Saturday, he kicked comedian Kim Haejun and made a threatening gesture as if to strike with his hand, further amplifying the criticism. Some viewers, however, said it should be seen as an extension of a character and a situational skit.
Yang Sang-guk also mentioned the controversy on JTBC's Newsroom, which aired on the 24th of last month. He said that because he thinks he needs to approach broadcasting in character and work hard, there are parts where he overdoes it and makes mistakes, and he said he intends to learn what he needs to learn and fix what he needs to fix to become a more mature comedian. On MBC's Omniscient Interfering View, which aired on the 30th of last month, he appeared more cautious. Yang said, "I'll be much more humble, but I'll keep the laughs going."