'Ilbe Allegations' Workman PD Steps Down... Draws Line Saying "Unrelated to Controversy"

On the 11th, controversy arose over the use of Ilgan Best terms in the YouTube channel 'Workman' that was released. Photo by YouTube channel 'Workman' video capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] The YouTube channel 'Workman' has been embroiled in a controversy involving the far-right online community 'Ilgan Best' (Ilbe), leading to PD Go Dong-wan's decision to step down.

On the 13th, JTBC Digital Studio Lululala's 'Workman' stated through multiple media outlets, "PD Go Dong-wan's departure was an internally agreed decision," emphasizing that it "is not related to the 'Ilbe terminology controversy.'"

Earlier, in the 'Workman' side job episode released on the 11th, subtitles containing the term 'Nomo (勞務),' a derogatory expression used against former President Roh Moo-hyun by the far-right online community Ilbe, appeared, raising suspicions of Ilbe involvement.

Following the controversy, on the 12th, 'Workman' issued an official statement explaining, "The subtitle 'Nomo' was intended to convey the dictionary meaning of 'labor-related work,'" and added, "We were completely unaware that this term was being used politically by a specific community."

However, they acknowledged, "It was also a fault of the production team not to recognize the potentially problematic content," and apologized, saying, "We apologize to everyone who felt uncomfortable. Additionally, the problematic parts in the 'side job' episode will be corrected and re-uploaded."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.