The fallout from the illegal medical issue involving celebrities leads to multiple cast exits from tvN's 'Surprising Saturday'.
December/19/2025 20:00
The problem of 'Injection Aunt' who was providing illegal medical treatment to celebrities is spreading, and there are successive withdrawals from programs. The topic of discussion is the popular variety show 'Surprising Saturday' by tvN. On December 19, the production team of 'Surprising Saturday' officially revealed to OSEN, 'We respect the intention of YouTuber Ipchalbunhenim to suspend activities and will not participate in future recordings.' Regarding the episodes that have already been filmed, the program side explained, 'Three weeks' worth of broadcasts have already been recorded. The production team plans to do their best for the latter half of the work.' Meanwhile, regarding a successor, they stated, 'It is undecided at this time. We will inform you again if there are any changes in the future.' This situation arose as the so-called 'Injection Aunt' issue, triggered by Park Na-rae, has spread to SHINee's Key and Ipchalbunhenim. Ipchalbunhenim is suspected of having received psychotropic substances for dieting from the person known as 'Injection Aunt' since 2023, as well as receiving medication from Park Na-rae and passing it to their manager. In response, on the 19th, Ipchalbunhenim stated through their channel, 'I first met the person in question through an acquaintance at a hospital in Gangnam. At that time, I believed without suspicion that they were a doctor and received treatment. I recognized that person as an actual doctor. They have visited my home on busy days, but I have never visited their home.' They also added, 'I should have confirmed various circumstances more carefully and acted accordingly, but I failed to do so, which is my significant fault, and I deeply reflect on it. I sincerely apologize to my fans and many concerned parties for the inconvenience and worry caused. I hope the damage from this incident remains minimal.' Furthermore, they revealed, 'I have decided to withdraw from all ongoing programs and suspend all scheduled activities,' announcing a complete halt to activities including 'Surprising Saturday' and YouTube. This decision is similar to those made by Park Na-rae and Key, who also suspended their activities after the injection aunt allegations surfaced. As a result, within just ten days, three cast members have announced their withdrawal from 'Surprising Saturday.' Notably, Park Na-rae, Key, and Ipchalbunhenim have been 'initial members' who have appeared since the first broadcast of 'Surprising Saturday' and have supported the program for many years. Although the cast still maintains an eight-member system, it is true that the program is facing a crisis due to the successive withdrawals. Additionally, the prosecution is conducting a full-scale investigation into the injection aunt incident surrounding Park Na-rae, raising concerns that new individuals may emerge in the future. Consequently, it is expected that the turmoil in the entertainment industry will continue for the time being.
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