Alberto, Welcome After 9 Years, Reason for Departure

Alberto Mondi, originally from Italy, will step down as the MC of MBC Every1's "Welcome, First Time in Korea?" after hosting for nine years. While the departure is officially attributed to a program revamp and season change, interpretations suggest that a recent controversy over historical remarks influenced his decision.

Alberto participated in the program from its pilot episode and was a regular MC. However, the production team is restructuring the MC lineup to Kim Jun-hyun and DinDin along with format changes for this season. Nevertheless, attention is being drawn to the background of his departure, as it coincides with the recent controversy surrounding Alberto's historical remarks.

Last November, Alberto became embroiled in controversy on a YouTube channel when, in response to his son's comment about Japanese people being truly bad in relation to Korean history education, he said, "Your aunt is Japanese, isn't she? It's not that Japanese people are that bad, it's history. Listen to both sides." His younger sibling is married to a Japanese priest.

As the controversy spread, Alberto posted an apology on social media, reflecting, "Although the historical issues between Korea and Japan are very serious topics imbued with the pain and memories of countless people, I made careless remarks without fully considering their weight." He added that he would study history more deeply and act more cautiously in the future.