Comedian Lee Su-ji Issues Apology Over "By-election" Satire Controversy

Comedian Lee Su-ji, who became embroiled in controversy while satirizing the reality of public officials suffering from malicious civil complaints, has apologized 18 days after the video was released.

Lee posted a handwritten apology on her YouTube channel "Hot Issuji" today (August 1), stating, "I am sorry for causing disappointment and discomfort to many people," and adding, "I take this matter seriously and will take sufficient time to regroup."

Lee bowed her head, saying, "Regardless of my intention to create laughter, I failed to fully consider that my acting and content could come across as hurtful or unpleasant to someone."

She continued, "I will strive to become a comedian who delivers healthy laughter that many can relate to, with a more cautious attitude and a greater sense of responsibility," adding, "I sincerely apologize once again to everyone who was hurt and disappointed by my shortcomings."


Previously, while playing the role of a public official in a video released on July 14, Lee portrayed a scene where a malicious complainant shouted "re-election."

In response, some critics raised voices saying that the scene mocked citizens protesting and demanding a re-election due to the ballot paper shortage incident in the June 3 local elections.

As the controversy grew, the YouTube production team explained that there was no political intention and deleted the video in question.

(Photo: Screenshot from YouTube channel 'Hot Issuji', Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.