Seo In-young (서인영), a former member of first-generation K-pop girl group Jewelry, gained attention for her outspoken and strong-willed "bad girl" image. She famously appeared as a virtual couple with rapper Crown J on We Got Married, where a controversy over alleged swearing during filming made her a trending topic. In 2010, she left the group to focus on solo activities. Later, reports surfaced of her verbally abusing staff members at work, leading to a slump in her entertainment career.
Recently, Seo appeared on the SBS variety show What Can I Do For You – Secretary Jin. The production team obtained a "Seo In-young User Manual" from her manager, which left hosts Lee Seo-jin (이서진) and Kim Gwang-kyu (김광규) stunned. They even declared they were "giving up," with Lee quipping, "People never change." Their hilarious reactions became a highlight of the show.
During the program, Kim first brought up Seo's past image, mentioning he had heard her described as having a "too strong personality," "swearing a lot," and being a "big spender," even earning the nickname "Queen of Demanding Behavior." Lee directly pressed her, asking, "Didn't you swear at staff members during a past shoot?" He added bluntly, "There's evidence, so how could it just be a rumor?" He didn't hold back in his direct remarks.
Subsequently, the two hosts received the "user manual" from Seo In-young's manager. The manager first warned that when Seo meets the Secretary Jin members for the first time, she might engage in an "eye battle" to establish dominance. "So, you absolutely cannot avoid her gaze," the manager advised. If they lost this challenge, "the entire day's schedule might be very difficult."
Kim couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you say she had reformed?" The manager replied, "She is currently in the process of reforming." The manager also revealed that Seo was on a diet, which had been ongoing for about a month, making her more sensitive and "potentially difficult to handle."
He even suggested to the hosts, "Her personality changes a lot; you need to treat her like a child. Don't think of In-young as a woman, just think of her as a 5-year-old boy. When she does well, pat her and encourage her, and work will go smoother."
This remark left Lee dumbfounded. He retorted, "She's not a child, is she? Isn't she in her 40s? I really hate 5-year-old boys; I don't like young boys." However, the manager continued to explain that Seo "becomes like a baby" when working with her manager, not only being prone to *aegyo* (cute displays) but also easily throwing tantrums and experiencing significant mood swings.
At this point, Lee finally couldn't help but say, "Her personality really has issues, doesn't it? That's why there have been so many controversies. People never change." The manager quickly interjected on Seo's behalf, "She's not a problematic person; those are all things from the past. She's working hard to change now."
Regarding the past "swearing controversy," when asked if Seo had stopped her habit of swearing, the manager emphasized, "She doesn't swear now; she really doesn't swear at all."
However, when the manager then revealed that even Seo's nail care required assistance, Lee and Kim finally completely broke down. Kim complained, "Just the manager's handover instructions took 15 minutes!" Lee directly announced his surrender: "I can't do it. I'll come back next year; this really doesn't seem possible." The two hosts completely gave up in the face of a long list of "care rules," which unexpectedly became the biggest laugh of the show.
Furthermore, Seo was also previously embroiled in rumors of "taking IU into the restroom to scold her." At the time, there were even reports claiming she had taken IU (아이유) to the restroom to reprimand her. Seo personally clarified on a past program, "If I really wanted to scold her, I would just go to the waiting room. Why would I specifically take IU to the restroom?" IU herself also personally came forward at the time to deny the related rumors, clarifying the incident.
