Entertainer Lee Hyuk-jae, 52, addressed the controversy over his qualifications that arose after he was appointed as a judge for the People Power Party's youth politician audition.
On the 27th, through a live broadcast on his YouTube channel "Gukjae Market," Lee Hyuk-jae, while talking with fellow entertainer Choi Guk, said the attitude of the media and public opinion that restricts his current activities because of a past incident is harsh.
Lee Hyuk-jae said, "It's been more than four years since I left broadcasting, and I'm no longer a celebrity but living as a private individual," adding, "I'm not someone paid by the people's taxes or someone loved by the public, so if they say, 'Why invite someone who caused an assault incident,' then where am I supposed to live?"
The controversy began after it became known that Lee Hyuk-jae had been invited as a judge for the People Power Party's open audition for youth proportional representation. As some criticized that his qualifications as a judge were inappropriate due to an assault incident 17 years ago, Lee responded by pushing back.
When Choi Guk asked, "Didn't you pay the fine and spend nearly 20 years in self-reflection?" Lee Hyuk-jae answered, "Yes. I also went on overseas volunteer work and took sufficient responsibility." He added, however, "I'm not saying I did well (back then)."
Lee Hyuk-jae also mentioned the possibility of reverse discrimination based on his political leanings. He said, "If I were an entertainer with a left-leaning tendency, I wonder if the same standards would be applied now."
As the controversy spread, Lee Hyuk-jae said he conveyed his intention to step down to avoid burdening the party, but he completed the judging schedule at the request of the party leadership. He said, "I'm grateful that the secretary-general, the head of the nominations committee, and the party leader said there was no problem and asked me to attend," adding, "I carried out my duties and conducted the audition earnestly."
Lee Hyuk-jae debuted in 1999 as an MBC open recruitment comedian and was booked in Jan. 2010 on charges of using violence against an employee at an entertainment establishment in Incheon. In 2024, he was also included on the list of high-amount and habitual tax delinquents released by the National Tax Service.
Having halted his broadcasting activities, Lee Hyuk-jae is now active as a conservative YouTuber. Last month, regarding former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was sentenced to life in prison at the first trial on charges of being a rebellion ringleader, he argued, "Not guilty."