“Infinite Challenge” releases statement on including Gil and Noh Hong Chul on its merchandise

MBC’s Infinite Challenge has released an official statement regarding their decision to keep Leessang’s Gil and Noh Hong Chul on the show’s official merchandise, despite their departure from the program due to DUI incidents on separate occasions.

Similar to 2013, Infinite Challenge has produced its official merchandise for 2014, with profits being donated to a charity event. The items, including a calendar and photo album, feature both Gil and Noh Hong Chul, who have left the variety show due to DUI charges. Because of this, the inclusion of the two stars has been a hot topic among the netizens.

On November 27th, Infinite Challenge reported, “We are deeply regretful and apologetic about our cast members’ DUI incidents. Our swift actions and decisions of letting those members go and editing the scenes are our responsibility as a national variety show. Although we acknowledge the possible issues with keeping those members on our merchandise, we thought it was an apt decision as calendars and photo albums record both good and bad memories. Also, as each moment and photo have a special meaning, taking those members out of our merchandise could disappoint our fans as well.

Lastly, Infinite Challenge emphasized, “We hope the public can put more weight on the memory created by the show, rather than on just the appearance of the seven crew members on our products.

Gil and Noh Hong Chul were arrested with DUI in April and November 2014, respectively, as they were still regular members of Infinite Challenge. Currently, the show is airing with the remaining five members, including Yoo Jae Suk, Park Myeong Soo, Jung Joon Ha, Jung Hyung Don, and Haha.

Source: Star News