"Was This Made to Make Us Laugh?" MBC 'I Live Alone' Kian84 Bullying Broadcast Controversy

Cartoonist Kian84, who appeared on MBC entertainment program 'I Live Alone,' expressing his regrets / Photo by MBC

[Asia Economy Online Issue Team] MBC variety show 'I Live Alone' (Na Honja Sanda, NaHonSan) has faced backlash from viewers amid controversy over so-called 'ostracism broadcasting.'

In the episode aired on the 13th, cartoonist Kian84 celebrated the conclusion of his 10-year webtoon series 'Return to School King' by going on a trip to Yeoju with the show's members.

At the time, Kian84 was looking forward to meeting the other cast members, but except for broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo, the others did not arrive until evening. Jeon Hyun-moo told Kian84, "The others aren't coming."

Kian84, showing clear disappointment, asked, "Weren't they coming to congratulate me?" Jeon Hyun-moo explained, "Because of the COVID-19 situation, they couldn't gather," adding, "I came as a representative."

He continued, "Originally, we planned to celebrate together, but since the webtoon ended, postponing it repeatedly felt awkward," and added, "It was meant to be a surprise." Kian84 laughed and said, "Is this a surprise?"

In an interview with the production team, Kian84 also expressed his disappointment, saying, "I never thought people wouldn't come." He shared, "Regular meetings were always fun. I wondered what would happen this time, but they said people wouldn't come," describing the feeling as "like going on a trip with the homeroom teacher," conveying his sense of emptiness.

Immediately after the broadcast, criticism poured in on viewer boards and the official social media channels of 'NaHonSan.' Even considering the restrictions on gatherings due to COVID-19, many pointed out that Kian84 was treated excessively coldly.

Netizens criticized, saying, "Are we supposed to laugh while making one person look like a fool?", "Is this playing ostracism?", "Is this how they direct? Publicly tormenting someone," and "I could really feel Kian84's genuine hurt. It was too much."

As the controversy grew, the 'NaHonSan' production team deleted clips related to Kian84 from platforms such as Naver TV and Kakao TV.

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