The December 17th broadcast of Take the block quiz marked the first episode since Jo Se-ho resigned from the program after six years as a regular MC. Appearing alone in the studio, Yoo Jae-suk noticed the Jo Se-ho designer bag placed next to him and remarked with a bittersweet smile, “The bag is next to me.”
He directly addressed Jo Se-ho’s exit, saying: “The owner of this bag, our Joseph, left You Quiz due to this situation.” Yoo Jae-suk continued, “We’ve worked together for a long time and now that I’m hosting You Quiz alone today, I really feel…” he trailed off as he struggled to finish the sentence.
Yoo Jae-suk also shared a message for his longtime co-host, adding, “As he said himself, I hope this becomes a meaningful time for him to reflect on himself once again.”
Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho worked together Take the block quiz since its premiere in 2018. Although Jo Se Ho briefly appeared in pre-recorded guest segments during the episode, only her back was shown. The production staff confirmed that some previously filmed appearances of Jo Se-ho will continue to be broadcast next week.
Jo Se-ho was recently embroiled in controversy after allegations surfaced linking him to an individual described as a gang-affiliated figure. An informant claimed that Jo Se-ho often visited a franchise allegedly owned by the individual and had accepted expensive gifts while socializing at entertainment venues. The photos were posted online to support the claims.
Jo Se-ho’s agency, A2Z Entertainment, strongly denied the allegations, saying it had no direct or indirect involvement in illegal activities, including money laundering. The agency also denied claims it had accepted gifts and announced plans for strong legal action to restore its reputation.
On December 9, Jo Se-ho personally addressed the controversy via social media, saying: “As someone who is in front of the public, I should have been more cautious about my relationships.” He added that he was thinking deeply about his actions while maintaining that the allegations themselves were “completely false”.
Amid worsening public sentiment, Jo Se-ho resigned voluntarily Take the block quiz as well as 1 Night 2 Days of KBS2.
Following Yoo Jae-suk’s comments, netizens expressed enormous sympathy towards him, wondering why he is often the only one who takes responsibility. Comments included:
- Yoo Jae-suk must feel terrible that one person silently disappears would be hard enough.
- Why is Yoo Jae-suk always the one apologizing? It’s sad.
- Living like Yoo Jae-suk is an extreme job in itself. Hold on, Jae-suk hyung.
- By the end of the year, Cho Jin-woong, Jo Se-ho, Park Na-rae, and Key all ended up resigning.
AS Take the block quiz moves forward with Yoo Jae-suk at the helm, the audience’s attention remains focused not only on the program’s future but also on the growing sense that Korea’s top MC is too often left to clean up situations not of his making.
Sources: bnt News, tvN
