The Official Story We Were All Told
For fans of the massively popular Korean variety show ‘Hangout with Yoo’ (also known as ‘Nolmyeon Mwohani?’), the news in early November 2025 was a bummer, but seemed straightforward. Actor Lee Yi-kyung, a hilarious and beloved cast member for three years, was leaving the show. The official reason given by his agency and the show’s host, the legendary Yoo Jae-suk, was due to scheduling conflicts with his upcoming movie and drama projects. [1, 2, 3] It seemed like a typical, amicable split in the fast-paced entertainment world. But as we’ve learned, that was far from the truth.
A Bombshell Instagram Post Changes Everything
Just weeks after the official announcement, Lee Yi-kyung dropped a bombshell on his personal Instagram account. He revealed that the whole “scheduling conflict” story was a cover-up. [4, 12] The real reason he left was that the show’s production team had pressured him to step down. This came after he was targeted by completely baseless, nasty rumors about his private life, which were started by an online user who later admitted to fabricating the entire thing. According to Lee, even though the rumors were quickly proven false, the show’s producers recommended he leave, and he and his agency felt they had no choice but to agree to a “voluntary” exit. [4, 6]
The Production Team’s Public Apology
Facing a huge public backlash after Lee Yi-kyung’s post, the ‘Hangout with Yoo’ production team issued a formal public apology. They confirmed that what Lee said was true. [8, 14] They admitted that they judged it would be “difficult” for him to continue on a comedy show while the false rumors were spreading, so they suggested he leave. [10, 14] They also apologized for another incident where they pressured him into a controversial “noodle-slurping” gag that he didn’t want to do, which had previously earned him unfair criticism from viewers. [5, 15] The apology confirmed that the production team had failed to protect their own cast member.
So, Why is Yoo Jae-suk Getting Blamed?
This is where it gets complicated. Because Yoo Jae-suk is the face of the show, some angry viewers started blaming him for not protecting his junior colleague. [6, 18] However, the production team’s apology clarified that they specifically *asked* Yoo Jae-suk and the other cast members to announce the false “scheduling” reason on air as a “minimal courtesy” to Lee Yi-kyung, to make the exit look better publicly. Lee Yi-kyung’s own agency has also stepped in to state that he and Yoo Jae-suk had a supportive phone call after the decision was made and that any rumors of a feud are untrue. [7, 18] It seems the beloved MC was caught between a rock and a hard place, trying to follow the production’s lead while showing respect for his departing friend.
