Comedian Yang Sang-guk, who has been riding a wave of popularity, is facing a sudden storm. His attitude and comments during a guest appearance have sparked significant controversy.
Yang Sang-guk has been dominating top variety shows like ‘Hangout with Yoo’, ‘Omniscient Interfering View’, and ‘You Quiz on the Block’ thanks to his strong Gyeongsang-do dialect. However, he is now in a crisis after appearing on the ‘Pinggyego’ segment of the YouTube channel ‘DdeunDdeun’, where his perceived arrogant behavior and speech became a hot topic.
During the episode, when Nam Chang-hee mentioned that he always prepares breakfast and sees his wife off as a newlywed, Yang Sang-guk shared his strict dating philosophy, stating, “From my perspective, that’s really dangerous. Dating is the same. My rule is that if I’m not going to do it for a lifetime, I won’t do it at all.”
As his comments became awkward, Yoo Jae-suk, Han Sang-jin, and Nam Chang-hee tried several times to smooth things over. However, Yang Sang-guk brushed off their efforts to stick to his views. When Yoo Jae-suk tried one last time to fix the mood, Yang responded, “Didn’t we agree not to intrude?” and “If you say it one more time, I’ll scold you.” Watching this, Han Sang-jin sighed and remarked, “Getting a fixed role won’t be easy” and “Is this a retirement broadcast?”
While some defend him, saying people are just nitpicking, the negative reaction is currently stronger. Critics point out that calling Yoo Jae-suk “Yoo Jae-suk-ssi” despite Yoo being far senior in both age and career, and pushing his own values while ignoring the help of his seniors, comes across as arrogant.
The issue doesn’t end there. Past comments are being dug up, further damaging his image. Most of these remarks relate to dating and marriage, and his recent variety show appearances are now under scrutiny.
On the SBS show ‘My Little Old Boy’ aired on the 28th of last month, Yang Sang-guk declared he wouldn’t get married while watching Heo Anna’s daily life. He commented on her messy house, saying, “This is too much. A spouse just shouldn’t have a criminal record, but at this rate, I wonder if she should have been to prison. In my view, she should have spent three months there.” Many felt this was an overly aggressive critique of her cleaning habits.
Additionally, in a video on the YouTube channel ‘Alddal-ddal-han Chamgyeon’ on the 7th of last month, he described his ideal type as a “virtuous wife and wise mother” in the style of a “Cheongdam-dong eldest daughter-in-law,” adding that he likes someone who looks “classy” and mentioning actress Kim Tae-ri. These comments have been criticized for being outdated.
Yang Sang-guk previously expressed disappointment on ‘You Quiz on the Block’, mentioning that despite being popular, he has “0 fixed programs.” Ironically, his guest appearances have shown why he might be a risky choice for a fixed cast member. While his strong dialect and blunt honesty work well for a one-time guest, they could be problematic for a long-term teammate. Having shown both his strengths and weaknesses since becoming a trend, all eyes are on how Yang Sang-guk will overcome this crisis to finally land the fixed role he desires.
