THOUGHTS | CHO SAE HO LEAVES 1N2D

The Korean variety show Two Days, One Night is no stranger to controversy. From gambling scandals to military service evasion, tax issues, and even the infamous Burning Sun mess, the show has seen members step down and strain their relationship with the audience over the years.

And you’d think Cho Sae Ho would be the last person to get caught in a major scandal.

Known as a polarizing comedian, Sae Ho often gets tagged as a loudmouth who tends to hijack shows just to be the center of attention. That’s why people were hesitant when he joined 1N2D. But surprisingly, unlike his more chaotic appearances on Running Man, Infinite Challenge, and Yoo Quiz on the Block, he actually toned himself down. Sae Ho was one of two recruits—alongside Lee Joon—after Youn Jung Hoon and Na In Woo left, and honestly, I’ve been enjoying this season. Kim Jong Min is still the show’s most popular member, but the expanded roles of Moon Se Yoon and Dindin, the improvement of Yoo Seon Ho, and the two newcomers under a new director have made the show fun again.

However, Sae Ho recently got dragged into a scandal involving alleged ties to a prominent crime syndicate member. Naturally, this didn’t sit well with Korean viewers. Sae Ho has now resigned from all of his free-to-air programs, and as an international fan, this really sucks. His association is definitely a red flag—especially considering the kind of crimes his alleged acquaintance is involved in—but it isn’t nearly as severe as what Park Na Rae is dealing with.

Who would’ve thought she’d become Korea’s version of Ellen, allegedly working with an unlicensed medical practitioner while being a pain to her employees?

With all that said, I don’t think 1N2D should wait too long before adding a sixth member. In almost two decades, the one constant in the show has always been competition. Sure, individual challenges can be entertaining, but the show really thrives when there are even numbers.

The bigger question now is how this will affect Cho Sae Ho’s career. He’s built his variety identity around constant interaction with fans—and he just recently got married, too. Whether or not the allegations are true, this scandal will deal a major blow to his public persona. Some viewers already feel he’s a little too chummy, and now, with this controversy, people might think twice before approaching him in public unless a major production team is around to mediate.

For Sae Ho, he may have to stick to studio setups for a while. One unruly fan encounter in public could break him. And he’ll have to be extra careful with his words—something that’s tough for someone who thrives on talking nonstop. Even worse, he might lose his “Yoo Jae Suk privileges,” which have always been a huge boost for his career.

At least he still has Screwballs, but I doubt Netflix would keep him—or the show—if this situation spirals. Remember how Busted! had to edit around Ahn Jae Wook after his drunk driving scandal.

Hopefully, if he’s innocent, he can clear his name and recover from all of this.