Comedian Yang Sang-guk bowed in apology once again over his recent on-air "attitude" controversy, admitting he sometimes pushed an over-the-top character because he was desperate to be funny. He expressed remorse to viewers who felt uncomfortable.
On the May 21 episode of KBS2 variety show Problem Child in House, Yang Sang-guk and singer BIBI appeared as guests. During the broadcast, Yang shared how he’s back in the variety spotlight and spoke candidly about the controversy.
Addressing the renewed attention around his 'Gimhae Crown Prince' persona, he said, "It feels like I’m being compensated for the long break I had," but added, "I also think my schedule could disappear again next month." He then revealed that to keep up the dialect character he shows on variety shows, he frequently calls friends from his hometown to refresh his speech patterns, drawing laughs.
The moment that drew the most attention, however, was his response to the criticism. Yang confessed, "I’m usually introverted and not good at talking, but once I go on air, I sometimes act differently from my real self because I feel like I have to be funny." He continued, "If anyone felt uncomfortable watching my behavior, that deserves criticism. It’s entirely my fault."
Recalling his appearance on Yoo Jae-suk’s web variety Pinggyego, Yang reflected, "Because it was my first show back in a while, I got too greedy. I normally can’t act that way in front of seniors," acknowledging that he went overboard. Some viewers at the time criticized Yang for being overly rude to senior host Yoo Jae-suk; as the controversy grew, he issued an apology on social media.
Meanwhile, the MCs lightened the mood by playfully reenacting the situation. Yang slipped back into his signature dialect character and bantered smoothly, then laughed off the teasing, saying, "I thought I was a goner."