Yoo Jae-suk Couldn't Save Him: Jung Joon-won's Variety Show Debut on 'How Do You Play?' Sparks 'Passive Attitude' Criticism

South Korean actor Jung Joon-won has appeared in numerous dramas, including 'VIP,' 'Recalled,' and 'A Model Family.' This year, his popularity surged after starring in 'Hospital Playlist.' However, his first variety show appearance left him visibly nervous, leading to a reserved performance and an inability to complete challenges. This created awkward moments on set and sparked online debate after the broadcast.

Jung Joon-won and Gong Hyo-jin recently appeared together on MBC's variety show 'How Do You Play?' to promote their new drama 'Mommy Killer.' This marked Jung Joon-won's first official variety show appearance since his debut. However, his overly nervous and reserved reactions, which even prevented him from completing program challenges, led some viewers to question his 'passive attitude,' unexpectedly igniting a discussion across Korean online communities.

The 'Short-form Drama 'Shoot'' special of MBC's 'How Do You Play?' aired on the 1st, featuring Gong Hyo-jin and Jung Joon-won as guests. From the start of the show, Jung Joon-won appeared noticeably reserved, with a tense expression and rigid posture, looking visibly nervous.

Host Yoo Jae-suk (유재석) initiated a conversation by asking if he had watched 'How Do You Play?,' to which Jung Joon-won replied, "It's good for casual viewing." Yoo Jae-suk and Joo Woo-jae (주우재), noticing his extreme nervousness, jokingly commented, "Why are you sitting so awkwardly? You look like you're about to fall off," attempting to help him relax and liven up the atmosphere.

Later, during the 'One-Line Dialogue Challenge,' where guests had to interpret the same line with different emotions, Jung Joon-won first asked, "Where should I look to perform?" showing willingness to participate. However, when it was his turn, he hesitated to speak, even closing his eyes and remaining silent for a long time, causing an awkward silence on set.

Seeing the atmosphere freeze, Yoo Jae-suk intervened, suggesting, "Let's move on to the next one." Heo Kyung-hwan (허경환) then demonstrated, hoping to re-energize the set, while Gong Hyo-jin cheered him on, shouting, "Start!" However, Jung Joon-won ultimately failed to complete the challenge, and Gong Hyo-jin performed in his place, successfully concluding the segment.

Later, the production team gave Jung Joon-won another chance, asking him to deliver the line "How old are you?" with a 'sarcastic' emotion. Still, he remained unable to speak due to nervousness. HaHa (하하), seeing this, dramatically threw his hat to the ground, creating a comedic effect that drew laughter from everyone. Yoo Jae-suk also chuckled, saying, "Viewers must be wondering, 'When is he finally going to start talking?'"

After the broadcast, many viewers expressed disappointment with his performance, commenting: "Too passive," "He didn't actively engage with the show," "This is a variety show, his reactions were too passive," "As an actor, he should at least be able to complete a simple acting challenge," and "Yoo Jae-suk and the other guests kept trying to save the situation, but couldn't get him to participate." Related clips quickly went viral on short-form video platforms, sparking intense discussion.

As the controversy continued to escalate, HaHa personally commented on a related video, clarifying the atmosphere on set during filming. He stated, "I was there on set that day. Jung Joon-won is really cute, endearing, and funny; it's just that the show can't broadcast every single moment of the atmosphere."

Regarding his exaggerated reaction of throwing his hat to the ground, HaHa explained that it was merely to create a comedic effect and liven up the atmosphere, not out of impatience with Jung Joon-won.

Furthermore, HaHa specifically spoke up for Jung Joon-won, who was making his variety show debut, stating, "'How Do You Play?' is difficult even for professional entertainers who are on variety shows for the first time, let alone someone who isn't a variety show personality. I hope everyone can view him with a bit more affection and simply enjoy the show." Finally, HaHa warmly encouraged, "I want to give applause to this actor. I hope everyone will support him, and I will continue to cheer him on."

After HaHa's comments were revealed, many netizens changed their perspectives, leaving messages such as: "Now that someone from the set has explained, I finally understand," "It's normal to be nervous for a first variety show appearance," and "He's just not used to the variety show pace yet, I hope everyone isn't too harsh." They offered words of encouragement to Jung Joon-won.