Apology Made for Comments Critical of 'Infinite Challenge' NY Episode

By Cho Jae-hyon
Staff Reporter

Lee Sun-min, 37, a TV personality and the elder brother of popular singer-songwriter Tablo, is creating a stir on the Internet with his criticism of MBC TV's variety show "Infinite Challenge" (Muhan Dojeon).

A day after the comments he posted on his mini-homepage on Cyworld drew fire from netizens, Lee, an emcee for an EBS English educational program "Star English," posted an apology on the broadcasting firm's Web site for hurting the show's staff with his "inappropriate" comments.

The dispute ignited with his online posting of criticism against the latest New York episode of "Infinite Challenge," in which the six members of the program attempted to promote Korean food to Americans in English in comedic ways.

In the posting, Lee, also known as Dave, said, "I was going mad watching the New York episode. It was so embarrassing. They made themselves a laughing stock in front of white men who were in their 20s. Is it only me who is feeling that the American kids are making fun of them?"

Lee also hit out at MBC staff and reporters for talking about the event in a positive tone.

"It's an absurd episode, a product created by the combination of works by MBC staff who produced the rubbish program, parasite-like reporters who laud the show as some patriotic program, and the people who enjoy and giggle at the show,"he said.

He said the New Yorkers who appeared in the show might have thought: "What are these retards doing?"

He said, "This kind of low-quality comedy should be done at home not in New York, the center of the world." He also said MBC made a great contribution to making Koreans despicable in the eyes of New Yorkers.

Right after his thoughts were made known on the Internet, he drew attacks from some netizens and Lee shut down his mini-homepage on Monday, just one day after he posted the controversial comments.

Second Jae-beom Case?

Popular hip-hop singer Defconn added fuel to the dispute as he posted venomous comments against Lee on his mini-homepage: "Are you so full of confidence because you are not a Korean but a Canadian? You, who earns money in Korea and saves it in dollars, should not post comments that make Koreans uncomfortable."

Lee holds Canadian citizenship. A graduate from Brown University, he earned a master's degree in international finance from Colombia University.

In his apology, Lee said, "I'm really sorry for hurting 'Infinite Challenge' staff with my selection of inappropriate words."

He said he posted the original comments with no intent to show it to others. But he said he is responsible for all the fuss.

Kim Tae-ho, the program director of the "Infinite Challenge," said its members had received private English tutoring before shooting the New York episode but their English was naturally not good enough.

Commenting on Lee's remarks, Kim said, "If the episode was uncomfortable in the eyes of viewers, it's also our fault."

Many netizens are also expressing concerns that Lee might become another "Jae-beom." Jae-beom was the former leader of boy band "2PM,"who had to quit the group after his negative comments on Korea were made public.

chojh@koreatimes.co.kr