"Our Neighbor Where Did They Go"... Controversy Over 'You Quiz' Appearance by President-Elect Yoon

"Yoon Seok-yeol Elected President Filming Completed... Broadcast on the 20th"
Criticism Over Casting Outside Program's Intent
Some Express Interest in Watching the Broadcast

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol / Photo by Transition Committee Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "'Why did 'You Quiz' become 'Yoon Quiz'?"

As news spread that President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol would appear on the tvN variety show 'You Quiz on the Block' (hereafter 'You Quiz'), criticism arose claiming the casting was promotional and inconsistent with the show's original intent.

According to tvN on the 14th, President-elect Yoon completed filming 'You Quiz' on the 13th, and the episode is scheduled to air on the 20th. Following the announcement, the viewer message board was flooded with critical comments.

'You Quiz' is a program hosted by broadcasters Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho, known for listening to stories from neighbors. The show gained popularity by comfortably chatting with various neighbors at local laundromats, playgrounds, and other neighborhood spots, delivering empathy and entertainment. The core of the talk variety show is everyday life stories.

However, recently 'You Quiz' has been criticized for losing its original spirit. Due to difficulties filming across neighborhoods amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the show began inviting specific professional groups and famous stars for recordings. The increased frequency of appearances by certain elite groups led to claims that the show strayed from its original concept.

Negative reactions have also followed President-elect Yoon's appearance. Critics argue that the president-elect's participation does not align with the program's purpose.

Previously, politicians such as Kim Ye-ji, a visually impaired member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party, and former lawmaker and profiler Pyo Chang-won appeared, but only in episodes titled 'The World of Occupations' and 'Korea's First Generation Profiler,' respectively, where they shared their stories.

The sparks of criticism have spread widely. There have been expressions of disappointment and sympathy toward Yoo Jae-suk, and movements to boycott tvN and 'You Quiz' have emerged. The backlash is even extending to a boycott of CJ ENM-affiliated online video service (OTT) TVING.

On the other hand, some expressed a desire to see President-elect Yoon through 'You Quiz.'

Meanwhile, news broke that 'You Quiz' producers Kim Min-seok and Park Geun-hyung are moving to JTBC. Regarding this, JTBC stated they are "in discussions," while tvN said, "It is a personal matter, so confirmation is difficult."