Actor Lee Yi Kyung will resume official activities for the first time after months of hiatus caused by rumors about his private life, with his return coming to radio. According to his agency Sangyoung Entertainment, on February 7, Lee Yi Kyung will appear as a special DJ in the program “Two o’clock show Escape Cultwo” on Feb. 12. This marks his first confirmed show in about four months since the controversy emerged, and is widely seen as the starting point of his return to the entertainment industry.
In October last year, Lee Yi Kyung faced strong backlash after an anonymous post spread across online communities alleging inappropriate private conversations. The individual, referred to as A, released screenshots they claimed were conversations with the actor, describing them as “sexually explicit patterned messages”, which quickly sparked public outrage. Although A later admitted that the images had been created using artificial intelligence, the situation escalated again when the same individual claimed that there had been pressure from Lee Yi Kyung’s agency to withdraw the post, leading to long-running disputes over the truth of the allegations.
As the controversy continued, Lee Yi Kyung’s activities stopped. His agency responded by taking immediate legal action, filing a complaint with the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul. The company confirmed that investigations are underway into allegations of blackmail and defamation through the dissemination of false news and that the deposition of the complainant has already been completed.
The consequences had a significant impact on his career. Lee Yi Kyung resigned from popular MBC variety show “How do you play?“, while his regular role in “Courageous detectives 4” was suspended and modified for guest appearances only, taking into account the ongoing investigation.
With Lee Yi Kyung returning to the spotlight via a radio broadcast after a long period of silence, attention is focused on whether he will address the controversy directly and whether this careful step will lead to a full-scale return to acting and variety shows. His appearance on “Cultwo Show” is closely regarded as a potential turning point in his career.
Sources: Daum
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