[Provided by Herald POP (now Herald Muse)]
[Provided by Herald POP (now Herald Muse)]

Ko Young-wook, a former member of the group Rula, has posted a follow-up statement saying that broadcaster Yoo Jae-suk's former manager was put in an awkward position because of a post Ko made targeting a widely shared story about Yoo's habit of gifting Korean beef during holidays. Ko maintained that what he shared was a faithful account of a conversation he had with the manager.

On Wednesday, Ko wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account that the manager "seems to have been unintentionally put in a difficult spot because of me," adding that the exchange had been a brief, casual conversation during a car ride before chuseok, in which the manager laughingly said his one wish was to receive Korean beef from Yoo just once.

Ko said the manager also told him that meeting Yoo when he was young had brought him a great deal of help and taught him many things, and that he had always felt grateful.

Ko noted that the manager no longer works with Yoo but said he is still the person who has watched over Yoo's career the longest. "What I posted is exactly what was said in our conversation that day," Ko said.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Ko had shared a screenshot on X of a news article reporting that Yoo sends Korean beef to roughly 100 people every holiday season.

At the time, Ko said an acquaintance who had worked as Yoo's manager for 16 years told him the story while they were out for a meal together — and that the acquaintance said he had never once received Korean beef from Yoo.

"I don't want to think that way, but I wonder if he only sends the beef to places where a good story will get out," Ko wrote. The story Ko took issue with had resurfaced on Saturday, when it was mentioned again in a video titled "Eumak Chukje-neun Pinggye-go," a music festival-themed variety segment posted to Yoo's YouTube channel "Tteundteun."

This marks the third time this year Ko has publicly taken aim at Yoo. In July, Ko posted a screenshot from the variety show "Nolmyeon Mwohani?" with the caption "There's no end to the greed," and on Sept. 27 he shared a news article about Yoo canceling a recording session, writing, "I guess this is a good chance to get some rest."

Ko debuted as a member of Rula in 1994. In 2013, the Supreme Court handed down a final sentence of two years and six months in prison on charges of rape and sexual assault against minors. He was also ordered to have his personal information disclosed for five years and to wear an electronic monitoring anklet for three years.


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