Yang Sang-guk is facing harsh criticism after his appearance on the variety show Fantastic Saturday prompted accusations of rude behavior, excessive aggression and repeatedly crossing the line for fun.
What was supposed to be a lighthearted guest appearance quickly turned into one of the most controversial Korean variety moments of the week.
In the broadcast of May 9th tvN program, Yang Sang Guk appeared together with Kim Hae-jun and Na Boram as part of the program “Romantic couple” universe popularized through Kim Hae Jun’s YouTube content.
However, from the beginning of the episode, Yang Sang Guk seemed reluctant to participate in the comedic setup created by the other cast members. While Kim Hae Jun attempted to maintain his characters’ fictional “worldview”, Yang repeatedly rejected role-playing and stated bluntly: “I don’t watch ‘Romantic Couple’.”
Kim Hae Jun visibly struggled to regain the mood and jokingly remarked: “This is getting difficult.”
As the episode continued, viewers found Yang Sang Guk’s behavior becoming more and more uncomfortable. During games, he would aggressively argue about the rules, insist on penalties that didn’t exist, and continually interrupt other cast members’ attempts to bring the show back to comedy.
One particularly criticized moment came when Kim Hae Jun tried to continue the character’s role-play by jokingly threatening: “Should I take off my watch?” – a classic setup of the Korean variety involving a false comparison.
Instead of playing along, Yang Sang Guk allegedly responded with hostile gestures and comments such as “Move forward,” imitating physical aggression. At another point, he even performed a kicking motion towards Kim Hae Jun during a discussion segment.
While the actions were likely intended as over-the-top comedy, many viewers felt the tone had crossed over into truly unpleasant territory rather than funny banter.
The situation became even more awkward when Yang repeatedly rebuffed Kim Hae Jun’s attempts to continue the imaginary scenario, eventually yelling things like “Hit me then. The whole station is filming. Let’s go to the police station.”
Kim Hae Jun later openly expressed his frustration during the show, telling Yang: “If you continue like this, people will get tired.”
Viewer reactions after the broadcast were extremely negative. Online comments criticized Yang Sang Guk for displaying an overly aggressive attitude and creating tension rather than humor.
Some viewers have even described him as one of the “the worst guests” to appear in the program.
The controversy has grown because this is not the first time Yang Sang Guk has faced criticism for similar behavior.
Previously, during an appearance on the YouTube show Pinggyegothe comedian sparked backlash after making controversial comments about relationships and directly arguing with Yoo Jae-suk on air.
At that time, Yang even jokingly warned Yoo Jae Suk, “One more comment and I’ll scold you” which many viewers considered disrespectful.
More recently, he was also criticized during his appearance on Joseon lovers after reacting emotionally and negatively when receiving a low matchmaking score from a dating agency.
The repeated incidents have now led many Korean netizens to revisit the early moments of Yang Sang Guk’s career, with some arguing that his controversial attitude is becoming a consistent pattern rather than isolated mistakes.
Ironically, Yang Sang Guk recently spoke out Take the block quiz about the struggle to secure repeat casting opportunities from variety show producers, jokingly asking PDs to do so “trust him more” and invite him to come back several times instead of just once.
Following the latest controversy, many viewers are now commenting that they finally understand why producers might be hesitant to cast him again.
Once praised through its viral “Prince Kimhae” character and growing popularity in programs like Hangout with YooYang Sang Guk seemed to be approaching a second career peak. However, critics now believe his repeated “crossing the line” behavior may damage that momentum before it fully materializes.
Sources: Nate News
