On December 7, a representative from Sangyoung ENT, Lee Yi Kyung’s agency, told Ilgan Sports, “He was not targeting Yoo Jae Suk. There’s no reason for that. Please just take his acceptance speech as it is.”
Earlier, on December 6 at the 10th Asia Artist Awards 2025 held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, actor Lee Yi Kyung drew massive attention—not just for winning the AAA Best Choice Award, but for what he didn’t say in his acceptance speech.
After thanking his agency and acknowledging his recent struggles, Lee Yi Kyung indirectly addressed his exit from MBC’s Hangout with Yoo by stating:
“Are you watching, SNL Korea? I rest on Thursdays now.”
He then gave shout-outs to fellow castmates Haha and Joo Woo Jae , expressing that he missed them. However, he notably left out the name of Yoo Jae Suk , the show’s central figure and Korea’s national MC.
This omission set social media ablaze, with netizens speculating a deliberate “public snub.”
“Did Lee Yi Kyung just diss Yoo Jae Suk onstage?”
“Is this his way of saying Yoo was behind his removal from the show?”
“This feels like a clear-cut sign of cutting ties.”
Others, however, criticized the actor’s judgment in airing grievances during a celebratory event:
“Was this really the time and place?”
“Why make things worse by drawing attention to who’s missing?”
The controversy stems from Lee Yi Kyung’s prior claims that he was forced to leave Hangout with Yoo following a scandal involving explicit messages allegedly exchanged with a German woman. The woman publicly shared screenshots on her blog in October, accusing the actor of inappropriate behavior. The post included KakaoTalk and Instagram DMs , drawing massive backlash.
Although the accuser later apologized—saying she didn’t expect the incident to gain such traction—Lee Yi Kyung’s agency pressed charges for defamation and spreading false information .
Lee Yi Kyung has maintained his position that his departure from the show was not voluntary. “I was notified by the production team,” he wrote on social media. “This was not my decision.”
In response, Hangout with Yoo producers clarified:
“We recommended Lee Yi Kyung’s departure to his agency. They later decided to call it a schedule conflict. We also asked the other cast members to frame it as a voluntary exit, as a form of consideration for Lee Yi Kyung.”
“Please refrain from misdirected blame or speculation toward other cast members,” the statement added, seemingly addressing backlash toward Yoo Jae Suk.
Sources: 텐아시아,MBC,AAA 2025
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