Lee Young-don, "The late Kim Young-ae apologizes even though it was not my fault."

Broadcaster Lee Young-don mentioned the ‘red clay pack incident’. For Lee Young-don, the ‘red clay pack incident’ was not the past. The late Kim Young-ae passed away from pancreatic cancer. That name became a shackle for Lee Young-don. Time has passed, but the online people's trial against Lee Young-don continues.

Recently, Youngdon Lee appeared on the YouTube channel ‘Taiwanese Gods of the Ages’. Youngdon Lee mentioned the programs he hosted. He said he was caught up in numerous rumors while broadcasting. The most representative one among them was the ‘red clay pack incident’.

The 'red clay pack incident' is related to the deceased Kim Young-ae. The late Kim Young-ae entered the red clay cosmetics business in 2001. The business was successful. By exporting his cosmetics not only to Korea but also to Japan, Taiwan, and the United States, he achieved sales revenue of 170 billion won.

Kim Young-ae, who was on the verge of being listed on KOSDAQ with her cosmetics business. The business cruise did not last long. The problem started with KBS' 'Lee Young-don's Consumer Complaint'. The program broadcast that heavy metals were detected in red clay packs.

After the broadcast, criticism towards Kim Young-ae as well as requests for returns and refunds poured in. When the heavy metal controversy broke out, Kim Young-ae divorced her remarried partner at the time, businessman Park Jang-yong. He also said he had to close down his business and suffered from depression due to the criticism directed at him.

The incident took a turn with the announcement from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. As a result of detecting heavy metals at Kim Young-ae's workplace, the results were found to be suitable. When the results came out, KBS and Lee Young-don filed an objection, saying, “The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s announcement cannot be trusted.” Additionally, Kim Young-ae filed a lawsuit against Lee Young-don and KBS. A lengthy legal battle. The Supreme Court's ruling was that Lee Young-don was not guilty.

Kim Young-ae passed away in 2017. When the news became known, some members of the public strongly criticized Lee Young-don, saying he was the cause of death.

Currently, Lee Young-don rarely appears on TV. One of the reasons for his reduced activity is the gossip directed at him. Lee Young-don expressed his resentment. Even though the court found him not guilty, people's perception is still negative. Also, as a journalist, I haven't done anything shameful, but people don't believe me.

Lee Young-don recognized the worsening situation and apologized to the late Kim Young-ae. However, 'I didn't know what I did wrong'.

Lee Young-don does not have a direct relationship with Kim Young-ae's death. Here, there was also a ‘not guilty verdict’ from the Supreme Court. Because of the nature of the job, which involves reporting the truth of an incident, someone has to say something they don't want to hear.

Lee Young-don is also suffering from rumors that originated from broadcasting. Kim Young-ae is mentioned whenever Lee Young-don shows his face. There is no evidence that he was involved in the deceased's death. The public may miss the deceased. However, you have no right to criticize Lee Young-don. It is enough to pay tribute to the late Kim Young-ae.

Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr