A phone recording involving actor Lee Yi Kyung’s agency representative has been revealed amid ongoing controversy surrounding Lee’s departure from MBC’s variety show 'Hangout with Yoo.'
On December 17, entertainment reporter-turned-YouTuber Lee Jin Ho uploaded a video titled 'Why Is Yoo Jae Suk Facing Backlash After the German Woman’s Expose?' to his YouTube channel Entertainment President Lee Jin Ho. The video includes an alleged phone call recorded around 11 a.m. on November 25 between Lee Jin Ho and a person believed to be Lee Yi Kyung’s agency CEO, identified only as Mr. Park.
In the recording, Lee Jin Ho asks why Yoo Jae Suk’s name was brought up during discussions about Lee Yi Kyung’s exit from 'Hangout with Yoo.' He states that Lee Yi Kyung had previously said he asked, “Whose decision is this? Is it Yoo Jae Suk’s decision?” when informed of his departure, and questioned why Yoo’s name was mentioned specifically.
Mr. Park responds by saying, “Isn’t it natural to think that way? When you think of 'Hangout with Yoo,' whose program is it considered to be? Both the public and I would think of Yoo Jae Suk first. Wouldn’t Yoo Jae Suk rank higher than the main CP or producers? As far as I know, he even participates in planning the show. Then wouldn’t he be the one at the top?”
He continues by explaining that the production team repeatedly referred to the decision as coming from “above.” According to Mr. Park, a main writer allegedly told him, “Everything has already been decided above, and there is no room for change,” which prompted him to ask, “Then who is ‘above’? Is it Yoo Jae Suk?” He added that he did not know whether the decision came from MBC executives or someone else.
Mr. Park also cited the timing of events, saying rumors surfaced, were later dismissed as AI manipulation, and then the broadcast aired within the same week, followed shortly by the meeting about Lee Yi Kyung’s removal. “It all happened at once,” he said, expressing feelings of disappointment and frustration. He further stated that many people questioned why Yoo Jae Suk remained silent and what stance HaHa and Joo Woo Jae might have taken.
Following the phone call, Lee Yi Kyung appeared at the 'Asia Artist Awards 2025' held on December 6 at Kaohsiung National Stadium in Taiwan, where he received the 'AAA Best Choice Award.' During his acceptance speech, he thanked Haha and Joo Woo Jae by name but did not mention Yoo Jae Suk, leading to speculation that he was indirectly expressing resentment over the circumstances surrounding his departure.
Lee Jin Ho previously claimed in a December 16 video that Lee Yi Kyung’s agency was told the decision to remove him from 'Hangout with Yoo' was made by “higher-ups,” and that the agency repeatedly asked whether Yoo Jae Suk was involved in the decision.
However, Lee Yi Kyung’s agency quickly denied these claims. In an official statement, the agency said, “Lee Yi Kyung has never mentioned Yoo Jae Suk even once,” adding that the company merely expressed disappointment over the decision and never questioned whether it reflected Yoo Jae Suk’s opinion.
Lee Jin Ho pushed back against the denial, stating that he personally found the mention of Yoo Jae Suk hard to believe and made additional confirmation calls. He claimed that clear evidence exists and said he does not understand why the agency issued such a statement. He added that he would decide whether to release further materials depending on how the situation develops.
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