Jeon Yeo-ok: "Kim Shin-young, Did She Quit for Boasting About the 'Moon Jae-in Watch'? ... Absolutely Ridiculous"

"I was also notified of a replacement the day before on the broadcast"
"The entertainment industry thrives on popularity... colder than politics"

Comedian Kim Shin-young suddenly stepped down as the MC of KBS variety show 'National Singing Contest,' sparking rampant speculation about the reason. Some netizens claim that the cause was Kim boasting about the so-called 'Moon Jae-in watch,' which features the handwritten autograph of former President Moon Jae-in. In response, former Saenuri Party lawmaker Jeon Yeo-ok dismissed the claims as "absurd."

On the 6th, Jeon posted on her social media account, saying, "A certain group is showing strange reactions regarding Kim's departure," and added, "Some even say she was fired for boasting about the 'Moon Jae-in watch,' which is simply ridiculous."

She continued, "Kim has never revealed any political stance. I only found out about the Moon Jae-in watch from a left-wing community post," pointing out. She also explained, "The entertainment industry and politics are similar in that they both rely on people's popularity, but the entertainment industry is even more ruthless. I have worked at broadcasting stations and as a freelancer. I have even been notified of replacement the day before."

The so-called 'Moon Jae-in Watch' proudly shown by comedian Kim Shin-young in the past [Image source=Online community capture]

Regarding claims that Nam Hee-seok, the broadcaster selected as the new MC of National Singing Contest replacing Kim, has a 'conservative inclination,' he drew a clear line, saying, "Having worked with Nam, I know he doesn't even make political remarks; he's annoyingly neutral." He also urged, "Please do not link the MC replacement of National Singing Contest with politics."

Earlier, KBS announced on the 4th that Nam was confirmed as the new host of 'National Singing Contest.' Nam's first broadcast is scheduled for the 31st. KBS expressed gratitude, saying, "We thank Kim Shin-young, who led the show with youthful energy following Song Hae, and ask for your support for the new host Nam Hee-seok."

'National Singing Contest' is a long-running program that Song Hae hosted for 34 years starting from May 1988. After Song Hae passed away in 2022, Kim Shin-young took over for about a year. Some netizens claim that Kim's boasting about the Moon Jae-in watch, featuring the former president's autograph, was the reason for her departure. In fact, Kim posted a photo of the Moon Jae-in watch on her Instagram in 2018, writing, "I should wear this all the time."

However, some argue that these are baseless speculations and that the host replacement was simply made to boost and refresh the show's ratings. 'National Singing Contest' recorded average ratings in the 10% range until the 2010s but has recently dropped to around 5-8%.

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