"Juhyunyoung's SNL Departure Because of Kim Geonhee?"... Netizens Buzzing

Juhyunyoung's Departure from 'SNL Korea' Raises Suspicion
YouTuber SongjakgaTV: "Coupang Removed Juhyunyoung"
Agency: "Decided Last Year... To Focus on Acting"

Actor Joo Hyun-young parodied Mrs. Kim Geon-hee on the variety show 'SNL Korea.' [Source=Coupang Play 'SNL Korea']

There have been opinions raised suggesting that actress Joo Hyun-young's departure from Coupang Play's variety show 'SNL Korea' might be related to First Lady Kim Keon-hee.

YouTuber Songjakga TV (real name Song Myung-hoon) uploaded a video titled "You Must Never Satirize the Supreme Being Kim D-ial! Why Did Joo Hyun-young Suddenly Disappear from SNL?" on his YouTube channel on the 19th of last month. In the video, he claimed, "'SNL Korea' features satire of President Yoon Seok-yeol and People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, but there is no satire of First Lady Kim Keon-hee." He added, "Joo Hyun-young appeared dressed in a black suit impersonating First Lady Kim Keon-hee, and it was really identical. 'SNL Korea' seized the opportunity for a 'teoksang (rapid rise)' because of this, but after Coupang underwent several tax investigations, they completely removed Joo Hyun-young." The video quickly spread on social media, sparking rumors that "Joo Hyun-young's departure from 'SNL Korea' was due to the parody of the First Lady."

Previously, Joo Hyun-young had appeared in December 2021 and January 2022 resembling the First Lady and imitating her. Especially in the January broadcast, she satirized the First Lady's apple press conference by saying, "I am infinitely lacking compared to my husband. When I first met my husband, I thought he was a scary person because he was so blunt," which drew attention for being exactly the same words. Joo Hyun-young, who had been active on 'SNL Korea' for a long time, announced her departure in January.

In response, Joo Hyun-young's agency AIMC stated, "Joo Hyun-young's departure was decided last year," and released a letter she sent to the production team. According to the letter, her departure was to focus more on her main career as an actress, and Joo Hyun-young expressed her determination for acting by saying, "Nothing is guaranteed, and it may be a choice with regrets, but I want to pioneer a new path that is less familiar, uncomfortable, and difficult." She also conveyed her gratitude by saying, "I thank everyone who gave me the opportunity to become an SNL crew member when I had nothing."