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| Hwang Seok-hee / Photo=social media screenshot |
On the 31st, tvN’s variety show You Quiz on the Block and MBC’s Omniscient Interfering View set his appearance videos to private as part of distancing measures.
A representative for You Quiz on the Block told Sports Today, “We plan to edit the VOD, and YouTube clips are being made private in stages.” Hwang appeared on that program in 2022 to share behind-the-scenes stories about film translation. Currently, videos featuring his appearances are being removed from the program’s YouTube listings.
Hwang also appeared on Omniscient Interfering View in 2025 and shared aspects of his daily life. After the allegations surfaced, that show likewise made his segment private as it moved to manage the fallout.
Advertisers have followed suit. Fashion brand B, which employed Hwang as a model, deleted related commercials and other promotional content in light of the controversy.
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The allegations against Hwang surfaced on the 30th. Dispatch reported that Hwang had been convicted of sex crimes on three occasions in 2005 and 2014. According to the report, in 2005 Hwang is accused of molesting two women near Gangwon National University in Chuncheon and assaulting two people who tried to intervene; in 2014 he was accused of attempted rape and illicitly filming one of his students. He was reportedly handed suspended sentences in those cases. Reportedly, his wife’s repeated appeals for leniency during the trials influenced sentencing.
Public criticism intensified after the reports. Hwang had risen to prominence as a star translator of numerous foreign films — including Deadpool, Bohemian Rhapsody and Spider-Man — and had broadened his profile through frequent TV appearances, lectures and published work. He also engaged with the public via social media. He recently worked on the translation for Project Hail Mary and was reported to be involved with the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, scheduled for July. The revelation that he had been convicted of sex crimes three times in the past — and reports that he may have faced actual prison terms — prompted a strong public backlash. The Project Hail Mary team said it has no promotional plans with Hwang; the Spider-Man: Brand New Day team has not issued a comment.
After the allegations broke, Hwang said he is reviewing the matter with his lawyer. He stated that if there are inaccuracies, unverified claims or expressions that exceed legal judgment in the reports, he will consider corrections and responses. Following that statement, he deleted all family and personal posts and closed comments on his accounts.
As the fallout continues, Hwang’s past remarks have been reexamined. Posts he made on social media criticizing male-dominated culture and an anecdote in which he told a man in his 40s that “women in their 20s are unlikely to like men over 40 — behave like an uncle” have been revisited. Because he had cultivated a positive public image with principled statements, many have expressed disappointment.
Hwang married a dubbing translator in 2012; the couple has a daughter.
[Sports Today reporter Lim Si-ryeong ent@stoo.com]
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