Jung Joon-won faces controversy over passive attitude on 'Hangout with Yoo?'... Online criticism pours in

Actor Jung Joon-won, who is currently appearing in MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama ″Married Woman Killer,″ has become the center of controversy due to his attitude on a variety show. On the January 1st broadcast of MBC’s variety show ″Hangout with Yoo,″ Jung Joon-won appeared alongside Gong Hyo-jin to promote the drama. Throughout the show, Jung Joon-won appeared nervous and responded cautiously or hesitated when answering questions from the cast. In particular, his unfamiliarity with variety shows was emphasized multiple times, as he sat on the edge of his chair in an unstable posture and the conversation did not flow naturally. Gong Hyo-jin defended him by saying, ″This is Jung Joon-won’s first time doing something like this,″ and MC Yoo Jae-suk and the cast made jokes to lighten the mood. During the ″One Sentence Challenge″ segment, where participants act out a sentence with various emotions, Jung Joon-won failed to continue his lines properly. When he could not continue speaking on his first attempt, Yoo Jae-suk stepped in to manage the situation, and even on the second chance, Jung Joon-won did not deliver his lines, so senior Gong Hyo-jin participated instead. Haha expressed frustration through his reaction, and Yoo Jae-suk said, ″From what I see, viewers might be wondering when he will finally speak.″ Following the broadcast, various reactions emerged online regarding Jung Joon-won’s behavior. Some viewers criticized his attitude, saying, ″It’s understandable to be unfamiliar with variety shows, but at least some preparation and enthusiasm were necessary,″ and ″He is an actor by profession, so it’s harsh that he couldn’t even complete the acting mission.″ On the other hand, some defended him, saying, ″He seemed nervous because it was his first variety show,″ and ″We should consider his introverted personality.″ Jung Joon-won had also been involved in controversy regarding the synchronization with the original character when he was cast in ″Married Woman Killer.″