Yoo Jae-suk denies rumors that he collapsed due to illness

Broadcaster Yoo Jae-suk clarified on the 24th that he did not collapse, addressing rumors that began after he canceled a filming session for "Whenever Possible" last month due to a severe cold and high fever.

Broadcaster Yoo Jae-suk has once again drawn a line against health rumors that have persisted for nearly a month. The rumors intensified after the news that he canceled a filming session due to a severe cold spread more widely than expected, leading to a continuous stream of inquiries regarding his well-being. While expressing gratitude for the concern, Yoo repeatedly clarified, "It was just a sore throat." During the broadcast, his weight of 61.55kg was also revealed, prompting jokes from fellow members about his physique.

In the MBC entertainment program "Hangout with Yoo" broadcast on the 24th, Yoo Jae-suk, Haha, Heo Kyung-hwan, and Joo Woo-jae spent a day eating with guests Jeong Jun-ha and Kwak Beom. The atmosphere turned humorous from the start when Yoo mentioned a recent controversy regarding yogurt prices to Jeong Jun-ha, who was visiting the program after a long time.

Yoo jokingly asked Jeong Jun-ha, "Aren't you currently in a period of self-reflection?" As the other members joined in the conversation regarding the yogurt price issue, Jeong expressed his frustration, saying, "If I had just stayed quiet, it would have passed, so why expand the controversy further?" While his reaction drew laughter, the conversation soon shifted to Yoo's own health issues.

Yoo brought up the recent rumors, stating, "I have a sore throat, but people think I collapsed." He revealed, "I even received a text message yesterday. It has been a month now." He explained that despite considerable time passing since the cancellation of the filming, people around him continue to contact him out of concern for his health.

While noting that he is thankful for the concern, he added that he told people, "It's nothing serious, just look at the follow-up articles." Rather than suggesting the interest in his health is unwelcome, he expressed frustration that simple cold symptoms were being interpreted as a serious situation. Yoo emphasized once again that he did not actually collapse.

Previously, on the 22nd of last month, Yoo canceled the filming for season 5 of the SBS entertainment program "Whenever Possible" on the day of the shoot due to symptoms of a severe cold and high fever. Attention focused on his condition when it was reported that he had canceled a filming session on the day of the shoot for the first time in 35 years since his debut in 1991. The news of Yoo, who has maintained consistent broadcasting activities for a long time, canceling a shoot was perceived as an unusual event.

During a subsequent re-filming, Yoo explained the situation directly. He stated, "The articles were saying things like 'collapsed for the first time in 36 years.' That's not true. It was just a sore throat." He further shared that his throat was so severely swollen that he even suspected he might have contracted COVID-19. While he did take a break from filming due to sore throat symptoms, the context implies that the situation was perceived more seriously during the reporting process.

Despite his explanation, Jeong Jun-ha continued to worry about his health. When Jeong encouraged him to eat more so he "doesn't collapse," Yoo responded, "I told you, I didn't collapse," drawing laughter. He used wit to express his frustration at having to repeat the same explanation multiple times. Haha also added to the laughter by mentioning Yoo's usual physique, saying, "This unnie was originally very skinny."

On this day, Yoo's weight was measured at 61.55kg. Once the figure was revealed, the members' attention naturally turned to his physique. However, as weight alone cannot be used to judge health status, the core of the broadcast was Yoo's direct explanation of the circumstances surrounding his sore throat-related filming cancellation, correcting the health rumors.

As a single filming cancellation led to long-standing health rumors, Yoo once again made his position clear: "I did not collapse." The outpouring of concern and interest also serves as a testament to the presence of the "Nation's MC," who has been with the public for a long time. However, it has also become clear that the actual situation was a sore throat and there is no reason to interpret it as a serious health problem.

Read the original (Korean)