Actor Lee Yi-kyung has directly addressed the rumors surrounding his personal life. He revealed his complicated feelings towards the spreaders of these rumors and the entertainment production team.
On the 21st, Lee Yi-kyung posted a lengthy message along with a criminal complaint against the rumor monger, referred to as A, on his Instagram. He began by saying, "A few days ago, I finished my statement as the complainant at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul. I have initiated legal proceedings against threats and defamation through the dissemination of false facts." He explained why he had been silent until now: "My agency requested that I refrain from mentioning this until a lawyer was appointed and the complaint was formally filed."
The individual A, whom Lee Yi-kyung identified, introduced himself as someone living in Germany and released captured messages purportedly exchanged with Lee Yi-kyung, which led to controversy. After the photo was identified as an AI-manipulated image, A posted an apology saying it had "started as a joke," but then reversed his position and insisted it was "not manipulated," causing further confusion. Lee Yi-kyung firmly denied A's claims, stating, "An unidentified person has been sending threatening emails to the company for months, appearing and disappearing repeatedly."
Lee Yi-kyung expressed his frustration: "I felt anger every moment. If a warrant is issued, the suspect will soon be identified, and even if they are in Germany, I will personally submit the complaint there," indicating his strong resolve to pursue the matter to the end. He also stated, "There will be no leniency for those who leave malicious comments."
He then revealed details about his departure from MBC's entertainment show Hangout with Yoo. Lee Yi-kyung shared, "The rumors were concluded to be contrived within a day, but as a result, I was advised to leave the program and ultimately chose to resign voluntarily." He mentioned a past controversy regarding 'noodle comments' and said, "I said I didn't want to do it several times, but they asked me to 'borrow the noodle shop.' The part where I said 'we're doing it for entertainment' was edited out. When the controversy erupted, the production team only noted that 'they were in a hurry,' leaving me to bear the brunt of the backlash."
Regarding his cancellation from the KBS2 show The Return of Superman, Lee Yi-kyung expressed disappointment, saying, "I heard only that we would primarily proceed with VCR segments, but I learned about my replacement through an article."
Despite this, he shared, "There is currently no change in my filming schedule; I have completed shooting for the movie Generation Bitter and am progressing well with filming for a Vietnamese movie, a foreign drama, and entertainment shoots."
In conclusion, Lee Yi-kyung expressed gratitude to those who supported him, saying, "I thank everyone from I Am Solo, Brave Detectives, and Handsomeness, and to all those who believed in me and maintained their loyalty to the end."