Heo Kyung-hwan made a triumphant return to the spotlight last July on MBC’s ‘Hangout with Yoo’ during the ‘Gathering of Unpopular People’ special. The cast, including Yoo Jae-suk, had a blast imitating his legendary catchphrases from his ‘Gag Concert’ days, such as “Doing it!”, “Unbalance!”, “I’m nervous!”, “It’s coming back to life”, “Are you curious?”, “I’ll break this interest!”, and “Isn’t this the taste?” Thanks to this chemistry, Heo was eyed as the perfect replacement for Lee Yi-kyung, who had recently left the show.
After appearing in nearly every episode for about six months, including the ‘Comma Club’ segment, Heo Kyung-hwan’s status as a fixed member was officially confirmed in March when his name appeared in the cast list on portal sites.
Meanwhile, Yang Sang-guk caught the public’s eye in February during the ‘War on Crime: Golden Age of Country Bumpkins’ episode of ‘Hangout with Yoo.’ He earned praise for his rhythmic dialect and his ability to hold his own against Yoo Jae-suk. Taking on the character of ‘Crown Prince Kim Se,’ his dialect chemistry with Heo Kyung-hwan was a hit, making it seem like he was on the verge of joining the fixed cast.
However, the mood shifted when Yang Sang-guk’s personal SNS was flooded with comments criticizing his remarks as “patriarchal and anachronistic.” Yang apologized, replying, “I am sorry for making you uncomfortable” and “I will be careful in the future.” It seems his outdated mindset and stubborn behavior have sparked a negative reaction from the public.
