'Hangout with Yoo' Team: Lee Hyori's 'Mao' Comment Not Intended to Refer to Any Specific Person

On the 22nd, in the MBC entertainment program 'How Do You Play?', Lee Hyori mentioned the name 'Mao' while discussing her sub-activity name. Photo by MBC 'How Do You Play?' broadcast capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Min Jun-young] MBC variety show 'Hangout with Yoo' has apologized for the controversy surrounding Lee Hyori's 'Mao' remark during the broadcast.

The production team of 'Hangout with Yoo' posted on their official Instagram on the 24th, stating, "During the broadcast on August 22, we learned that some overseas viewers felt uncomfortable with Lee Hyori's mention of 'Mao' while deciding on her stage name."

They continued, "As concerns have been raised, there was absolutely no intention to refer to any specific individual, and to prevent further misunderstandings, the paid service version provided since yesterday has been edited to remove the content."

They added, "Lee Hyori's final sub-character name (secondary stage name) has been decided as a different name. The production team will create broadcasts with more care and caution moving forward."

Previously, in the August 22 broadcast of 'Hangout with Yoo,' Lee Hyori mentioned 'Mao' as her sub-stage name.

Chinese netizens pointed out the issue, saying Lee Hyori referred to 'Mao,' the surname of Chinese President Mao Zedong (毛澤東).

After the broadcast, Lee Hyori's Instagram received numerous critical comments from Chinese netizens such as "If you want to make money in China, keep your mouth shut," and "You insulted the founding father."

Below is the full official statement from the 'Hangout with Yoo' production team

Hello. This is the production team of .

We have learned that some overseas viewers felt uncomfortable with Lee Hyori's mention of 'Mao' while deciding on her stage name during the broadcast on August 22.

As concerns have been raised, there was absolutely no intention to refer to any specific individual, and to prevent further misunderstandings, the paid service version provided since yesterday has been edited to remove the content.

Also, Lee Hyori's final sub-character name has been decided as a different name.

The production team will create broadcasts with more care and caution moving forward.

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