Conan O'Brien upsets Korean fans with bungled event

American show host Conan O’Brien enters the POSCO P&S Tower, where his meet-and-greet with fans took place on Monday. / Yonhap

By Kwon Ji-youn

American late-night talk show host Conan O’Brien has come under fire for allegedly cutting a fan meet-and-greet short to see U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert.

The event was supposed to last for about two hours on Monday evening with some 230 Korean fans at the Posco P&S Tower in southern Seoul, but ended after just 30 minutes without a clear explanation. Shortly after his departure from the scene, the U.S. Embassy posted a photo of O’Brien standing with the ambassador.

Fans at the event claim the ambassador’s unexpected appearance might be the main reason for the bungled event. But the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the event’s organizers denied the allegations, saying his visit was “brief” and the ambassador had nothing to do with the short-lived event.

“The ambassador’s meeting with O’Brien was very brief, and definitely not the reason his meeting with fans was cut short,” a U.S. Embassy official told The Korea Times, Tuesday. “That had nothing to do with Ambassador Lippert.”

Organizers didn’t specify the reason for his early departure.

“Today’s meet-and-greet was not cut short because of an unscheduled meeting with Ambassador Lippert,” said one of the organizers. “He booked the venue for three hours, but we did not specify how long the meet-and-greet would last. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

O’Brien’s meet-and-greet with fans began at around 7:30 p.m. Monday evening, and was set to wrap up after 9 p.m. Some 230 fans had gathered at the venue on a first-come-first-served basis, eager to spend two hours with the comedian, but it ended before 8 p.m. without due explanation, and at around 9 p.m., the photograph of O’Brien and Lippert was posted on the ambassador’s Twitter account.

O'Brien decided to visit Korea to thank a Korean student named Sunny Lee for her fan letter and a package of local snacks she’d sent him.

During his five-day trip, the TV host will tape a special episode of his show “Conan.” His itinerary here includes visits to Panmunjom along the inter-Korean border, as well as traditional Korean villages where he will try soju, make kimchi, receive acupuncture and learn some Korean.

On Thursday, he will meet JYP Entertainment chief Park Jin-young to discuss a special project, the details of which have yet to be made public.