Comedian Kim Soo-young (39) apologized for a controversy in which he allegedly blocked viewer chats asking about the origin of the product during a live broadcast selling pickled crab.
On the 20th, Kim stated via social media (SNS), "I sincerely apologize to everyone who felt inconvenience due to the issue of blocking chats related to the origin during recent live broadcasts. Our response was inadequate."
He explained, "During the broadcast, malicious defamation and aggressive chats were repeatedly posted, which was mentally difficult for me, and it was hard to respond to each chat as they came in rapidly. In this process, I caused inconvenience by blocking even those who asked legitimate questions."
Kim said, "Questions from those curious about the origin should naturally be respected, and I will answer related questions diligently going forward." He added, "As mentioned during the live broadcast, the crab is Yeonpyeong Island female blue crab, and the red pepper powder is Chinese-made."
Finally, he emphasized, "Please understand that blocking measures may be taken for malicious defamation or repetitive aggressive chats to ensure smooth broadcast progression. I will strive to communicate more cautiously and earn trust through this incident."
Previously, claims were raised that Kim blocked chats from some viewers asking whether the raw materials of the pickled crab sold in his live broadcast on the 18th were domestic or Chinese-made.
A complaint post also appeared on the inquiry board of the sales page: "I asked if it was domestic or Chinese-made, so why block the chat? Is a question about origin itself hate speech?"
When the controversy arose, the seller's side stated that they are disclosing the origin on the product detail page. They explained that comments with the intent that "Chinese products should be filtered out" were repeatedly posted, and there was an excessive response in managing the chat window.
According to the detail page, the blue crab in the pickled crab sold by Kim is domestic, while the sauces are foreign-made. The origin of the amino acid liquid used in the soy sauce pickled crab sauce was listed as India, the United States, and China, among others, and the chili peppers used in the seasoned pickled crab seasoning were recorded as Chinese-made.
Kim debuted as a KBS public recruitment 26th-generation comedian in 2011 and gained attention by taking on segments such as "Father and Son" and "Last Health Boy" on "Gag Concert." He married a non-celebrity eight years his junior in 2022, and he is running a pickled crab business with his wife.
in ENTERTAINMENT
