Car Girl, Jo Se-ho, Yoon Suk Yeol—and now Jensen Huang? The 'You Quiz jinx' resurfaces

[Financial News] As Jensen Huang, CEO of global AI semiconductor company NVIDIA Corporation, became embroiled in an affair scandal and allegations of links to Chinese spies, the so-called “You Quiz curse” has once again resurfaced online in South Korea. The phenomenon of famous figures who build up public goodwill by appearing on beloved talk-variety shows and soon afterward become embroiled in one social controversy after another is taking shape as an internet “meme.”
On the 10th, scenes of CEO Jensen Huang appearing on tvN’s You Quiz on the Block (hereafter, You Quiz) this past June were being rapidly reshared on online communities and social media (SNS).
According to earlier reports by foreign media, CEO Huang was found to have had an inappropriate relationship with a businesswoman suspected by U.S. intelligence agencies of having ties to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). On the 8th, he officially admitted to the affair and apologized in an internal notice. The public was all the more shocked by the stark contrast with his appearance on You Quiz just five months earlier, when he shared the story of his romance with his wife, his first love in college, presented himself as a devoted husband, and emphasized that “the most important thing is humanity.”

The “You Quiz curse,” often discussed among internet users, refers to a jinx in which cast members fall from grace after becoming embroiled in all manner of controversies following the broadcast, including fraud, school bullying, privacy scandals and criminal cases.
Cases of people who have come under fire after appearing on You Quiz span all fields. Prominent examples include the YouTube couple Car Girl, who stopped their activities shortly after appearing in 2020 amid a “fake rich” controversy and allegations of commercial promotion, and volleyball-playing sisters Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young, whose episodes were removed after their school violence offenses came to light. In the business world, Kang Young-kwon, former chairman of Edison Motors, manipulated stock prices using the acquisition of SsangYong Motor as bait, while Kang Bang-cheon, former chairman of ASSETPLUS Investment Management Co., Ltd., received severe disciplinary action amid allegations of nominee-name investments. Both later faced legal penalties and disciplinary measures.
Political and cultural figures, as well as people within broadcasting, were no exception. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who appeared on the show as president-elect and sparked controversy over biased guest selection, faced legal judgment after declaring emergency martial law and having his impeachment upheld. Microsoft founder Bill Gates, broadcaster Kang Hyung-wook, star chef Lim Seong-geun and film translator Hwang Seok-hee also came under scrutiny after appearing on the show over sexual misconduct scandals, abuse of power or past criminal records. Even Jo Se-ho, a regular host who had been with the program for a long time, went through the upheaval of voluntarily stepping down after allegations of ties to organized crime surfaced.
The phenomenon is seen as part of a storytelling-style meme commonly found in the broadcasting world, much like the successive cast-member downfalls on KBS’s 1 Night, 2 Days in the past or the overseas “Oscar Best Actress curse.” One analysis is that because You Quiz is a format that maximizes the appeal of its guests by focusing on their humanity, success stories and candid life stories, any moral failings or surprising revelations that emerge later can leave the public feeling doubly betrayed and shocked.
There are also plenty of cautious voices warning that linking this to a TV program’s “curse” is an excessive leap. A broadcasting industry insider noted, “It is true that the more popular an entertainment show with a public-service role is, the more rigorous it should be about background checks and vetting guests in advance,” but added, “It is physically impossible for production staff to perfectly predict and control in advance personal lapses in private life or future illegal acts that occur after someone appears on the show.”
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter