Lee Hwijae's 'Immortal MC' Controversy

Lee Hwi-jae returned to broadcasting after four years, taking on the role of MC for KBS2's entertainment program 'Immortal Songs'. The 'Immortal Songs' broadcast on the 4th featured the second part of the '2026 Entertainment Industry King of Kings Special'. The guests on this episode included Lalal, Song Il-gook, Oh Man-seok, Jo Hye-ryun, the Gag Concert 'Chatflix Team', and Lee Chan-seok.

As a large number of comedians appeared and the waiting room talk became heated, MC Kim Jun-hyun handed over the MC seat to Lee Hwi-jae, saying, "Uncle, please sit down and do something." The production team announced his return with the caption, 'MC seat, Lee Hwi-jae, it's been a while?'. Lee Hwi-jae skillfully continued the talk, refreshing the atmosphere with "Three claps, start", and the cast praised his hosting skills, saying "As expected," and "This guy fits right in here."

After debuting in 1992, Lee Hwi-jae was active in various entertainment shows. However, due to controversies such as rudeness at an awards ceremony, noise complaints from neighbors, and suspicions about his private life, he suspended his broadcasting activities in 2022 and left for Canada with his family. This appearance on 'Immortal Songs' marks his return to broadcasting after four years, and online reactions to his comeback were mixed, with both positive and negative responses. While some netizens expressed discomfort, saying, "It's uncomfortable to watch," and "I'm disappointed in the production team," others defended him, stating, "He does host well," and "The MC seat is a perfect fit."