Actor Lee Yi Kyung’s acceptance speech at his first public event since his personal life controversy has sparked further debate. Suspicions of a “jab” or “passing over” arose because he did not mention Yoo Jae Suk’s name, prompting his agency to issue an official clarification. However, netizens remain divided in their reactions.
Lee Yi Kyung Raises Eyebrows After Omitting Yoo Jae Suk’s Name From Acceptance Speech
On the 6th, Lee Yi Kyung received the “AAA Best Choice” award at the 10th Asia Artist Awards (AAA) 2025 held at the National Stadium in Kaohsiung. On stage, he expressed gratitude to his agency and staff, saying, “Thank you to everyone who gave me a voice and this award at the end of 2025.”
He then directly addressed the recent rumors about his personal life, saying, “It might be out of place for this festive atmosphere, but lately, I feel like I’ve been hit by hail that wasn’t even in the weather forecast.” He added firmly, “Currently, the suspect is sending apologies and requests for leniency via company email. I intend to see this through to the end.”
Afterward, he indirectly referred to his departure from Hangout with Yoo by saying, “SNL Korea, are you watching? I now have Thursdays off.” He also said, “Haha hyung, Woo Jae hyung, I miss you,” but notably did not mention Yoo Jae Suk’s name, who had co-hosted the program with him.
As the controversy grew, on the 7th, Lee Yi Kyung’s agency told OSEN, “Please take his acceptance speech at face value,” and stressed, “There was absolutely no intention to target or exclude Yoo Jae Suk.”
Online, immediate and varied interpretations appeared. Some netizens said, “Leaving out Yoo Jae Suk’s name in this situation seems intentional,” “I don’t get why he excluded him, especially since it wasn’t necessary to mention names,” and “It seems like a statement that knowingly invited controversy.”
Conversely, others defended Lee, saying, “He must have felt very wronged to say something like that,” “He doesn’t have to mention everyone,” “It’s right to believe the agency when they say there was no intention to jab,” and “Now, overinterpretation is more problematic.”
Earlier, Lee Yi Kyung became embroiled in personal life rumors after a foreign netizen’s allegation; the accuser admitted to AI manipulation but later retracted, causing further confusion. Lee’s side has filed a defamation lawsuit over the spread of false information and is currently awaiting results.
While Lee Yi Myung’s remarks have caused another ripple, public opinion remains split between seeing this as “a self-inflicted controversy” and “an expression of injustice.”
