Lee Sang Min's Variety Shows Respond To Fraud Allegations Against Him And Share Plans For Upcoming Broadcasts

Variety shows starring Lee Sang Min will not be editing him out in light of allegations of fraud against the TV personality.

On July 23, it was reported that Lee Sang Min was sued for fraud of up to 1.3 billion won (approximately $1.1 million). According to the person filing the lawsuit (hereafter known as “A”), Lee Sang Min defrauded “A” under the pretext of helping him with a loan and as an official promotional model for “A’s” company.

Lee Sang Min denied the claims and said he was being unfairly accused with false stories after refusing to help “A.” His agency also released an official statement with plans to take legal action.

Lee Sang Min is currently a fixed member on many variety shows, and staff members of these shows responded to the reports with their plans of whether or not they would be editing him out of the shows airing this week.

On July 23, a source from JTBC’s “Ask Us Anything” stated, “We’re keeping an eye on the situation after reading reports about allegations of fraud against Lee Sang Min. Since Lee Sang Min’s agency has released a statement that they’ll be countersuing, I think we’ll have to wait and see.”

As for this week’s episode of “Ask Us Anything” that airs on July 27, they said, “The situation is variable to change, but we’re currently planning to prepare for this week’s broadcast as scheduled.”

A source from MBN’s “Greatest Hit” (literal title) said, “We decided to air the July 23 broadcast without edits. The staff heard about the situation tonight through articles and asked Lee Sang Min and his agency about the truth. As a result, we confirmed that Lee Sang Min is expressing feelings of injustice and that he is taking strong legal action including countersuing.”

They further explained, “The show airs tonight (July 23). The cast member has revealed plans to take legal action, and no legal ruling has been made yet. We decided to air the second episode without editing Lee Sang Min’s footage.”

A source from SBS’s “My Ugly Duckling” said, “We’re currently in the process of checking. The staff is also keeping an eye on the development [of the situation].”

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