[Edaily Reporter Kim Min-jung ] Comedian Kim Soo-young has spoken out regarding the controversy over his blocking of viewers who asked about the origin of the crab sauce during a live broadcast selling the product.

According to Xports News on the 20th, Kim Soo-young addressed the recent controversy, saying, “I earnestly hope you will at least hear our side of the story once.”

The controversy began during a live broadcast hosted by Kim Soo-young on the 18th to sell marinated crab. At the time, some viewers asked about the origin of the ingredients used in the marinated crab, and claims were made that the chat was blocked during this exchange.

In particular, critics pointed out that Kim Soo-young only emphasized that the blue crabs were domestically sourced and failed to properly explain the origins of other ingredients used in the seasoning, such as red pepper flakes.

In response, Kim Soo-young refuted the claims, stating they were untrue. She argued that she had clearly stated during the broadcast that the blue crabs were domestically produced, while the red pepper powder was sourced from China.

In the broadcast footage released by Kim Soo-young, she explained that the blue crabs were from Yeonpyeong Island and the red pepper powder was from China. She also claimed that she uses products approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety that have tested negative for pesticides.

However, as negative comments regarding the Chinese ingredients continued, Kim Soo-young warned that she would block the chat, and subsequently asked her manager to remove viewers who repeatedly brought up the issue.

Kim Soo-young’s team explained that some viewers repeatedly posted comments insisting that any Chinese-made products must be automatically dismissed, which made it difficult to proceed with the broadcast, and that issues arose while her managers were moderating the chat.

In fact, the product listings show that the soy sauce-marinated crab consists of 34% blue crab and 66% sauce. While the blue crab is domestically sourced, the sauce is imported. The seasoned crab consists of 50% blue crab and 50% sauce, and the chili peppers used in the seasoning are listed as being sourced from China.

Kim Soo-young stated, “We also believe that if we have made any mistakes, we should acknowledge them and make improvements,” but added, “However, it is extremely difficult to be judged and criticized based solely on one side’s perspective without sufficient verification of what we actually said or what the situation was like.”

She continued, “I hope we’ll have a chance to explain ourselves. If we’ve done anything wrong, we’ll take responsibility and correct it.”

She appealed, “We, too, are heads of households—ordinary people working hard every day to provide for our families,” expressing her fear that the efforts they have built up over time might be misunderstood due to this controversy.