Actor Lee Yi Kyung has finally shared an update after about six months of stepping away from various shows due to a “private life controversy.”
On the 9th, Lee Yi Kyung posted several photos on his account with the caption, “First marathon of my life. Nasol Run! I was happy.” In the photos, he was participating in the “2026 I am SOLO Run,” a running event based on the SBS Plus and ENA variety show I am SOLO. He was seen beaming with a finisher’s medal around his neck and posing for photos with model Song Hae Na, who is two years his senior and a fellow MC on I am SOLO.
Lee Yi Kyung reportedly took part in the 10km race alongside Song Hae Na. The event kicked off at 7:30 AM at the Yeouido Culture Square and followed a course around the Seogang Bridge, with approximately 9,000 participants joining in.
Netizens who saw the photos shared various reactions, with some noting, “He looks thinner for some reason,” while others commented, “I participated in this event too!”
Previously, Lee Yi Kyung was caught up in a controversy regarding his private life last October. At the time, a foreign woman, referred to as “A,” claimed that she and Lee Yi Kyung had exchanged messages of a sexual nature. In response, Lee Yi Kyung maintained his innocence and filed a complaint with the Seoul Gangnam Police Station, charging “A” with intimidation and defamation by spreading false information. It is reported that he has already completed his statement investigation.
Regarding the situation, Lee Yi Kyung expressed his frustration, stating, “I felt a surge of rage every single moment. Someone claiming to be German, whose identity and reality I don’t even know, kept appearing and disappearing, just as they had sent threatening emails to the company months prior.”
As a result of the incident, Lee Yi Kyung faced the hardship of leaving MBC’s Hangout with Yoo. While the production team cited schedule adjustments as the reason for his departure, Lee Yi Kyung countered that the production team suggested he leave after the reports broke, which sparked further debate. Later, on December 6, at the “Asia Artist Awards 2025” held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, he won the AAA Best Choice award. During his acceptance speech, he mentioned only Haha and Joo Woo Jae, leading to suspicions that he was “sniping” Yoo Jae Suk.
In response, his agency, Sangyoung ENT, clarified, “The ‘Yoo Jae Suk sniping controversy’ is not true. The speech is simply a speech, and we hope it is accepted as such.”
