On April 12, Seo Ye-ji returned to variety television via Coupang Play’s “SNL Korea,” her first appearance of this kind in 8 years. Prior to the broadcast, she raised eyebrows by joking, “I’ll gaslight all the SNL crew and make this fun,” referencing her past scandal involving actor Kim Jung-hyun.
In the segment “Seo Ye-GPT,” Seo portrayed an AI version of herself. When the character helped a man succeed at work, only for others to dismiss it as the AI’s doing, she remarked, “What’s truly humiliating is sitting silently while people badmouth you. I’ve been there—I know how unfair that is.”
In another sketch, “Eve’s Hair Salon,” Seo played a stylist massaging a customer’s scalp. When he said his neck felt stiff, she responded, “It’s firm,” parodying the “Kim Ddak-Ddak” controversy, in which she was accused of manipulating Kim Jung-hyun into refusing physical contact with co-stars during filming.
Viewers were stunned that Seo Ye-ji openly referenced her many past scandals—ranging from alleged gaslighting, two-timing, school bullying, power abuse, to academic fraud. Her past claim of studying in Spain came under renewed scrutiny. In 2021, allegations arose that she faked her academic credentials. Although she said she had been accepted into Complutense University of Madrid, she later admitted she did not attend.
Her agency at the time, Gold Medalist, clarified that while she had received an admission notice, she never formally enrolled due to career commitments in Korea. Still, critics pointed out the lack of evidence supporting her acceptance.
On SNL Korea, Seo Ye-ji also played a lying girlfriend character in a segment titled “Shy Yeji-jjang,” reminding viewers of her academic controversy. She told Shin Dong-yup, playing her boyfriend, “You’re my first,” only for her ex (played by Lee Jin-hyuk) to appear. She then admitted, “I lied because I heard your type is innocent girls.”
Netizens had mixed reactions:
- Academic fraud is a crime.
- The SNL Korea producers went too far.
- It was funny, but still…
- Let’s let it slide—it’s black comedy.
- The academic stuff is too much.
- Why was she chosen as the first guest?
- Well, at least she got accepted.