Ever since Korean reality TV show I Live Alone started airing in 2013, it has amped fans up by offering intriguing glimpses into celebrities’ lives. Each episode features a different guest, from Olympic athletes to K-pop idols.
However, I Live Alone has also played host to troublemakers telling inappropriate jokes and going too far teasing their co-stars while on air.
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The latest target of criticism is Key from boy band Shinee following his appearance on the show’s most recent episode, which aired on August 13.On the episode, Kian84 – a famous webtoon artist who’s also a regular cast member – planned a short trip to celebrate the end of his webtoon series, which he had worked on for 10 years. He took off first with cast member Jun Hyun-moo, excited for the rest of the cast including Shinee’s Key, Sung Hoon and Park Na-rae to join them on the getaway later.
Kian84 is known for his sincere fondness for the I Live Alone cast members, and he had prepared personalised T-shirts and short performances to entertain his fellow co-stars on the trip … only to find that the others would not be joining after all.
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Things took a turn for the worse when Key began laughing at Kian84’s reaction in a condescending manner, making comments like: “It seems like he was really excited [about the trip],” “He looks very disappointed [that we did not come].” All the while, Kian84 was so distressed that he almost teared up on set.
Some of the comments – now deleted by Key – included: “How can someone do such thing to his co-star,” and “I did not see Key as someone who would be so mean.”
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Fans were particularly incensed because Key had only joined I Live Alone as a cast member very recently. Not only that, Kian84 is well-known to suffer from panic disorder, so presumably he was hit even harder than most by Key’s comments.This furore comes after Key had initially built a good reputation for himself – not just on I Live Alone, but on other reality shows like Amazing Saturday. He expanded his fan base with his no-filter, honest sense of humour – although this time he apparently crossed the line.
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Key can’t entirely be blamed, considering he wasn’t the only cast member involved in the incident that the show’s production team sugarcoated as a prank. But some K-pop fans are known for their swift and unforgiving ire, so we can probably expect further demands for apologies and explanations. The incident might become an even bigger problem for the show too, as netizens have now filed a civil complaint against the series, according to Koreaboo.
