Actor Lee Yi Kyung’s claims about MBC’s variety show Hangout with Yoo have been confirmed as true.
The production team issued an official apology, acknowledging most of his statements, including being pressured to leave the show and being forced to slurp noodles.
On November 22, the Hangout with Yoo team posted a statement on their official SNS, saying, “We apologize to Lee Yi Kyung for causing him hurt and to viewers for causing discomfort”.
Regarding the controversial noodle slurping, the team admitted it was “a failure to protect the cast member”.
They explained, “During filming in Hong Kong and Japan, Lee Yi Kyung improvised the noodle slurping. Since the response was positive, we asked him to do it again for fun. In the end, our greed went too far”.
The team also confirmed that Lee Yi Kyung’s line, “This is for entertainment!” had been edited during production, which contributed to the controversy.
“We failed to consider viewers’ feelings. Because of editing, Lee Yi Kyung was hurt and viewers felt uncomfortable”, they added.
The production team also confirmed that Lee Yi Kyung’s anger over being asked to leave the show was justified. “When personal life rumors were spreading, we thought it would be difficult for him to continue because of the nature of the show, so we first asked his agency about his withdrawal”, they explained.
They admitted the agency presented it as “voluntary withdrawal due to schedule conflicts” and that Lee Yi Kyung was asked to say this on the broadcast, meaning the “voluntary withdrawal” was created by the production team.
The team asked fans and viewers, “Please refrain from making baseless assumptions about Lee Yi Kyung”, and requested that other cast members not be blamed.
They concluded, “We will pay closer attention to the production process so that a cast member’s efforts for laughter do not cause them hurt”.
Previously, Lee Yi Kyung had shared on SNS that he was pressured to slurp noodles, the editing distorted his words, and he was pushed to leave the show, saying, “I can’t hold it in anymore”.
With the production team’s acknowledgment, this controversy has now reached a new phase.
Source: [1]
