Yoo Jae-suk Photo: VCG

The Chinese fan club of South Korean comedian and host, Yoo Jae-suk, announced on Sunday that it has shut down following Yoo's remarks on a variety show about South Korean skater, Hwang Dae-heon, which many saw as driving negative feelings among Chinese and South Korean netizens.

As one of South Korea's top comedians and TV personalities with a large number of fans in China, Yoo should not be making remarks that could intensify conflict between the people of the two countries. Yet, he did it right after a short-track speed skating event at the Beijing 2022 Games.

Yoo firmly supported Hwang in the latest episode of MBC's variety show, Hangout with Yoo, when the other hosts talked about the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The experienced host said that he felt "very angry" when he saw that Hwang was disqualified in the semifinals of the 1,000-meter short track speed skating at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games for rule violations on February 7, and he applauded Hwang winning a gold medal in the men's 1,500 meters. 

The video clip with his remarks and reactions has gone viral on Chinese social media since Sunday.

The discussion over South Korea's aggressive competing strategy in the sport has lasted on Chinese social media. 

Most Chinese netizens agreed with the penalty on Hwang and his teammate's illegal late pass and lane change, while many South Korean netizens fiercely opposed.

The Chinese fan club Yooniverse announced it was ceasing operations and bid goodbye to Yoo's Chinese fans on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo, stating that it was moving in a different direction and that they cannot walk together in the future.

"What we love are separated by mountains and seas that cannot be crossed," the post said.

Lots of Chinese fans chose to stop supporting the host and noted that he should not make remarks if he does not know the whole truth.

As Yoo is an influential celebrity both in South Korea and in China, his remarks are sure to be repeated by some spectators, especially among those who are not rational and do not have their own judgment.

What he should do is to guide rational public opinion and call for more healthy exchanges between Chinese and South Korean people instead of adding fuel to the fire and sparking another controversy.

The South Korean team protested the disqualification of Hwang and his teammate, Lee June-seo, to the International Skating Union (ISU) but were rejected.

South Korean leaders at Beijing 2022 met virtually with senior ISU officials on Wednesday to reiterate their concerns about the penalty. ISU officials said their position on the issue has not changed and that the organization is striving for fairness, according to media.