Korean variety showWhat should we play?Recently, the show's "exaggerated noodle-eating" segment has drawn criticism from viewers, who felt the performance was overly exaggerated and stiff, potentially causing physical strain on the performer. In response, the production team issued a formal apology to viewers on Saturday (November 22nd), acknowledging that the incident caused injury to Lee Yi-kyung and discomfort to viewers.
This controversy stems from the actorsLi YigengIn the Hong Kong and Japan episodes, he improvised an exaggerated noodle-eating act, which the production team found amusing and repeatedly asked him to improve and repeat the performance. However, the show received a negative response after airing, with criticisms of being "stiff and forced." The production team admitted to negligence, stating, "We didn't protect the performer properly; we were too greedy," and revealed that the segment where Lee Yi-kyung softened his tone was not included, which instead deepened the misunderstanding.
이이경보면어글리면치기기술만생각남 https://t.co/u24hMJxo5o pic.twitter.com/nYAi3A1N56
— 낫띵(@noth1ngisbetter) August 11, 2025
The production team also explained the reason why Lee Yi-kyung announced his withdrawal from the program earlier this month. The program stated that Lee Yi-kyung was recently exposed by a woman claiming to be German, identified as "A," who repeatedly changed her story, causing widespread public discussion. The production team believed that continued cooperation would be difficult under these circumstances, and therefore suggested a "temporary withdrawal." Lee Yi-kyung's agency, Sangyoung Entertainment, accepted the situation as a "voluntary departure."
It is understood that Lee Yi-kyung has filed a lawsuit against Ms. A for intimidation and spreading false accusations. He had previously kept silent at the company's request, but only made the complaint public on Instagram and explained the reasons when he filed the criminal lawsuit.
