DinDin's one-liner on a variety show thrust comedian Jo Se-ho, who is currently facing rumors of alleged ties to organized crime, back into the spotlight.
The Dec. 7 broadcast of KBS2 variety show 2 Days & 1 Night Season 4 kicked off a special themed "nobles and servants" as the cast headed to Andong in North Gyeongsang Province. During the opening, DinDin mentioned that Jo Se-ho and Moon Se-yoon had arrived in Andong a day early and hung out there, then cracked, "At this point, shouldn't we cut their appearance fee?"—a joke with bite.
Looking sheepish, Jo Se-ho hurried to clarify, saying, "We just stopped by to snap a few photos as a keepsake," which got everyone laughing. DinDin's trademark blunt delivery had the set in stitches and instantly amped up the energy.
Jo Se-ho has been under fire online over alleged connections with organized crime. A tipster on social media claimed he had a "direct or indirect" relationship with a certain individual, raising suspicions that included accepting pricey gifts and sharing drinks together. The controversy snowballed after photos surfaced of Jo Se-ho with his arm around a man or hugging him.
Jo Se-ho's agency, A2Z Entertainment, pushed back hard, calling the claims "baseless speculation" and "groundless," and said it is considering legal action.
Despite the furor, Jo Se-ho appeared in the episode as scheduled without edits. On the show, he was his usual self with the cast, but online reactions after the broadcast remained split.
Meanwhile, DinDin recently drew nods on a web variety show for saying, "The problem is that celebrities lose their sense of the value of money." His latest "appearance fee" jab delivered laughs while leaving a sly aftertaste, putting him at the center of buzz yet again.