MC Mong. Yonhap News

MC Mong posted, then deleted, a message on his social media account that appeared to defend Park Na-rae and Jo Se-ho.

On the 14th, MC Mong left a lengthy message on his social media account. He began, “Celebrities who are stepping down, if you have done something wrong, do not hide; announce your position honestly, and if there is scolding to be had, accept it squarely.”

He continued, “Even when public officials cause an incident, they go back to work the next day, and getting scolded should sufficeby what right are people trying to take away someone’s job? What Hyori and Yang Se-chan said to Park Na-rae in private was merely something tossed out like a joke; why can’t they speak, and why must they keep reading the room?”

He added, “When you set out your position, state only the facts. In truth, it is a difficult year-end for everyone, and no one is so idle as to hate Park Na-rae or Jo Se-ho. So do not hide; if there is scolding to be had, take it, and even later, do not hide forever like meplease make us laugh even more.”

However, the post is not currently visible on MC Mong’s social media account. As public attention poured in, it appears he felt the pressure and took it down.

Earlier, Park Na-rae and Jo Se-ho each came under scrutiny over alleged abuse of power toward managers and alleged ties to organized crime, respectively.

On the 4th, revelations by former managers that they had suffered ‘abuse of power’ from Park Na-rae sparked controversy. The former managers reportedly claimed that she repeatedly assigned personal errands such as fetching side dishes or cleaning up parties, demanded that they accompany her to drinking gatherings, and effectively forced them to be ‘on call 24/7.’

More recently, an expos-style post mentioning Jo Se-ho was uploaded to a social media platform, amplifying the controversy. The author, identified as A, released a photo of Jo with another man, claiming the person in the photo is a key member of an organized crime group that operates various illegal gambling websites. The author further alleged that Jo promoted a franchise said to be effectively owned by this man and that he received expensive gifts.