Yoo Jae-suk Announces Lee Yi-kyung's Departure from 'Hangout with Yoo'

Yoo Jae-suk personally announced Lee Yi-kyung's departure from the popular MBC show 'Hangout with Yoo' on the episode aired on the 8th.

During the episode, Yoo Jae-suk addressed Lee Yi-kyung's absence at the 'In.Sa.Mo' (a gathering of famous but not popular people) meeting, which was attended by Yoo Jae-suk, Haha, and Joo Woo-jae.

Yoo explained, "Lee Yi-kyung has been with us for the past three years, but as many of you might know from the news, he has a packed schedule with dramas and movies, which led to his departure." He added, "After coordinating with the production team, he decided to leave due to scheduling conflicts."

Joo Woo-jae mentioned, "Lee Yi-kyung has been extremely busy for several months." Haha added, "He should have said goodbye, but the 'In.Sa.Mo' recording was delayed." Yoo Jae-suk apologized, saying, "Due to the show's hiatus and scheduling changes, he couldn't say farewell in person."

Yoo Jae-suk expressed his support for Lee Yi-kyung's future endeavors, saying, "I will cheer for his active career." Joo Woo-jae and Haha also sent their regards, saying, "You worked hard" and "Good job."

Meanwhile, the 'In.Sa.Mo' meeting was attended by Jung Jun-ha, Kim Kwang-kyu, Tukutz, Heo Sung-tae, Hyun Bong-sik, Heo Kyung-hwan, Han Sang-jin, and Choi Hong-man. Notably, Joo Woo-jae stood out in a white suit among the all-black attire, prompting Yoo Jae-suk to joke, "Woo-jae is popular, so he wore a different color." Tukutz humorously commented, "That's annoying," eliciting laughter.

Amidst the camaraderie of actors and entertainers, Tukutz shared, "Everyone else seemed close. I felt awkward." Han Sang-jin revealed, "He brought six staff members, making it hard to approach," adding, "Kwang-kyu asked, 'Who is he to have so many people?'"

Tukutz humorously responded, "I can handle it. Is this a competition?" Haha added, "I understand. He knows how not to feel small," bringing more laughter. However, upon learning that Tukutz is a YouTuber with 1.3 million subscribers, Kim Kwang-kyu joked, "I thought he was a trot singer," while expressing delight.

Heo Sung-tae then confessed, "I also brought seven staff members." Han Sang-jin, from the same agency, humorously complained, "We're on the same team, but I only brought one manager," providing more amusement.

Kim Eun-jung, TenAsia Reporter eun@tenasia.co.kr