Actor Lee Yi-kyung has reignited public attention with new revelations about his exit from MBC’s Hangout with Yoo and the infamous “myeonchigi” (noodle slurping) controversy, claiming he was pressured by the production team.
On November 21, amidst personal rumor scandals, Lee issued a statement explaining the legal steps taken against rumor-spreaders and expressing frustration over how the Hangout with Yoo incident was handled. Contrary to earlier reports suggesting he left the show voluntarily, Lee clarified, “I was advised to step down after the rumors spread, even though they were quickly debunked. It was not a voluntary decision.”
Lee also opened up about the controversial myeonchigi segment, which aired during a Japan shoot and involved actress Shim Eun-kyung, whose apparent look of disgust sparked criticism. He stated, “I clearly said I didn’t want to do it. But the producers insisted, saying they had rented out a restaurant for it. They edited out my line: ‘This is just for laughs, it’s variety.’ When backlash followed, they just said they were rushed, leaving me to take all the blame and image damage.”
The issue resurfaced due to an earlier July appearance on DefconnTV, where singer Defconn casually brought up the Japan shoot. Lee used the opportunity to finally share his side: “I had no other platform to explain. Filming time was only four hours, but we needed over an hour of footage. I even messaged Shim Eun-kyung the night before to say, ‘I might come off rude. Please express yourself honestly. If it gets too uncomfortable, let me know.’”
Defconn joked, “Why did you message her the day before? Sounds like you had feelings for her,” to which Lee replied, “We started filming the moment we met. There was no time for a chat.” When Defconn remarked, “This isn’t Infinite Challenge, why start like that?” Lee quipped back, “Come on, I’ve done Infinite Challenge before. That’s just how it works.”
Lee laughed about how the camera angle amplified the moment: “The expression they captured of Shim Eun-kyung looked like pure contempt—it went viral.” He then reflected, “If people are disgusted watching it, imagine how I felt performing it.”
Defconn responded empathetically, “It’s frustrating. Why did you have to carry that burden? It wasn’t even your idea.”
In response to Lee’s claims, the Hangout with Yoo production team issued an apology on November 22. They admitted, “We did suggest his departure to his agency due to the scandal, and agreed to go public if they chose that route. They later told us he would voluntarily leave due to scheduling issues.”
Addressing the myeonchigi incident, they explained, “We asked him to do it again after a favorable response in the Japan and Hong Kong episodes. That was our mistake. His original line, ‘This is just for laughs,’ was edited out. We failed to read the viewers’ sentiment and caused both Lee and the audience discomfort. We regret how we handled it.”
Sources: naver
You must be logged in to post a comment.