Actor Lee Yi-kyung has left the MBC variety show "Hangout with Yoo," and the production team has issued an official apology regarding the process of his departure. Lee Yi-kyung revealed through his SNS that his exit was at the production team's suggestion and claimed that he did not receive protection from the production team concerning the "face slurping" controversy.

On the 22nd, the production team posted an apology on social networking services (SNS), stating, "We sincerely apologize for causing concern to everyone due to this incident." They explained the "face slurping" situation mentioned by Lee Yi-kyung as a failure on the part of the production team to protect the cast member, describing the moment when Lee Yi-kyung spontaneously demonstrated the face slurping. The production team added, "At the time, we judged the reaction was not bad, but later, in an attempt to add more entertainment, we asked Lee Yi-kyung to do the face slurping again, which was excessive."

The production team apologized, saying, "The comment 'This is for entertainment' mentioned by Lee Yi-kyung was edited out, and we failed to accurately understand the viewers' sentiments, which hurt Lee Yi-kyung and caused discomfort to the audience." They also stated that after the controversy arose, they conveyed an apology to Lee Yi-kyung and quickly edited the explanation about the face slurping for the next broadcast.

Regarding the departure, the production team explained, "Given the situation where rumors about Lee Yi-kyung's private life were spreading through the media, and considering the nature of a variety show that must bring laughter every week, we judged it was difficult to continue working together." They said they recommended Lee Yi-kyung's agency to have him leave, and the agency responded that they would respect his choice even if the recommendation was reported in the media. Later, they said Lee Yi-kyung's agency contacted them to say he would voluntarily leave due to scheduling conflicts.

The production team stated, "As the party who recommended the departure, we thought it was the least courtesy for Lee Yi-kyung to ask the cast members to mention that his departure was voluntary due to scheduling agreed upon with the agency, and we conveyed this through the broadcast." They also explained that the cast members complied with the request out of consideration for Lee Yi-kyung.

Lee Yi-kyung recently suffered significant damage due to rumors about his private life, which restricted his appearances on variety shows. Through SNS, he claimed the rumors were false and said he is taking legal action. Lee Yi-kyung criticized, "The face slurping controversy happened because the production team made me do it, so I had no choice. I had to bear the controversy alone, and my image was severely damaged."

Despite the production team's apology, strong criticism continues among viewers. There are claims that the production team's statement that "Lee Yi-kyung's side proposed the departure first" is false, and there is an outpouring of reactions that the follow-up measures were insufficient. As the conflict between Lee Yi-kyung and the production team has surfaced, the credibility of "Hangout with Yoo" is being damaged.

Lee Yi-kyung recently completed a complainant statement investigation at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station regarding the rumor spreaders and is continuing legal action. He stated, "My agency requested that I refrain from commenting until a lawyer is appointed and the criminal complaint against the spreaders is completed."

The controversy surrounding Lee Yi-kyung's departure has caused a significant ripple effect throughout the broadcasting industry, and attention is focused on how the production team will overcome this crisis in the future. The production team expressed once again their apology, saying, "We will more carefully oversee the entire production process to ensure that the efforts of cast members to bring laughter are not distorted."