KBS N Sports suspended caster Lee Gi Ho after he made inappropriate comments during the Hanwha-KT baseball game broadcast on August 1. The broadcaster issued a statement on August 2, addressing the incident and detailing the actions taken against Lee Gi Ho.
The suspension follows inappropriate comments made during a live baseball game broadcast
“We recognize the seriousness of the caster’s problematic comments during the broadcast and have taken immediate suspension measures against him. We have also initiated procedures to refer the matter to the personnel committee and have suspended him from all assigned baseball broadcasting duties,” the statement read.
The controversy erupted when Lee Gi Ho commented on a Hanwha fan holding a poster that read, “If I were a woman, Choi Jae Hoon,” suggesting the fan could date the baseball player if he were a woman. He then made a pun, stating, “I want to eat ‘woman ramen.’ Isn’t it the most delicious ramen?” This remark, based on the Korean grammar pun ‘Yeo Ja Ra Myun’ (which can mean ‘woman ramyun’), faced widespread condemnation as a sexual harassment comment.
Following the backlash, Lee Gi Ho issued an apology for his “inappropriate comment,” but it did little to quell the criticism from viewers and fans.
In response to the incident, the fan referenced in Lee Gi Ho’s comment posted on an online community, sharing that they had received apologies from both the program director and the caster. The fan also mentioned that the segment would be edited out of the TVing video and that an acknowledgment and apology would appear in the next broadcast.
KBS N Sports concluded their statement by apologizing to their viewers and baseball fans for the incident.
This suspension reflects KBS N Sports’ commitment to maintaining professionalism and respect in their broadcasts. The network’s swift action demonstrates their zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behavior.