Ko Young-wook appears to take aim at Lee Chan-won: 'Don't meet me, focus on your day job'

Ko Young-wook, a former member of the group Rula, has posted what appears to be a veiled jab at trot singer Lee Chan-won over his television appearances.

On Sunday, Ko shared a screenshot from the MBC variety program "Sinbihan TV Surprise" on his X (formerly Twitter) account, captioning it "Let's not meet." The image showed Lee smiling with both hands raised in front of a caption reading "See you next week."

Ko wrote that the show had been "an enjoyable Sunday watch," then added: "Stop being a distraction and focus on your main job as a trot singer." Although he did not name Lee directly, the post was widely read as a criticism of Lee's variety show appearances.

This is not the first time Ko has publicly targeted fellow entertainers on social media. He has previously drawn controversy by openly criticizing Yoo Jae-seok, Kang Hyung-wook, Shin Dong-yeop, Pungja, Tak Jae-hoon and Bibi.

That same day, Ko also shared news of singer and broadcaster Lee Ji-hye moving to a new apartment, writing: "Seemed a bit full of herself. Lee Ji-hye, you've really come up in the world."

Ko debuted in 1994 as a member of Rula. He was indicted on charges of raping and sexually assaulting minors and received a final Supreme Court sentence of two years and six months in prison in 2013. He was also ordered to have his personal information disclosed for five years and to wear an electronic ankle bracelet for three years. He was released in July 2015 after serving his full term.