KBS to replace controversial host after his casting for talk show backfired

KBS talk show "Feast on the Road" has been criticized for naming critic Kim Yong-min, who has a history of misogynistic remarks, as the new season's host. Screen capture from Instagram

By Lee Gyu-lee

State-run KBS has decided to replace critic Kim Yong-min, the new host for the second season of its talk show "Feast on the Road," after he was put under fire for his misogynistic remarks in the past.

KBS told Yonhap news agency, Thursday, that it has confirmed Kim's withdrawal from the upcoming show, which was slated to go on air Feb. 16, today.

Critic and news commentator Kim Yong-min. / Korea Times file

The issue surfaced when the network revealed two new hosts for the show ― critic and news commentator Kim and actor Shin Hyun-joon ― on Tuesday.

Kim is seen as inappropriate because of many gender issues.

His previous remarks include saying ― while discussing the country's low birth rate ― that the "birth control pill should be substituted with ecstasy."

He also said a way to prevent terrorism was to "kill after raping her" when mentioning former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who served under George W. Bush, who led the war on terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack.

Although the remarks were made over 10 years ago, they are still haunting him.

Calls for his removal from the show began on its website and a petition was started on the site that over 11,000 people had signed as of Thursday.

Amid the ordeal, Kim publically announced his removal from the show via his social network, mentioning the previous season's host Yang Hee-eun. "I learned that Yang, whom I admire, left the show," he wrote. "I notified the production team of my resignation because I do not wish to defame the value and reputation of the show."

The first season went to air in 2018 with three female hosts ― comedian Park Mi-sun and singers Yang and Lee Ji-hye. It invited experts from various fields to cover social topics such as issues on abortion, gender inequality, and K-pop artists' suicide.

The first episode with Kim will air Feb. 16.

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