Lee Dong Wook Draws Attention For His Warm Advice To "Produce X 101" Trainees At 2nd Ranking Ceremony

Jun 22, 2019

On the latest episode of “Produce X 101,” MC Lee Dong Wook impressed viewers with his kind words for several of the contestants.

The June 21 broadcast of the Mnet survival show featured the program’s second ranking ceremony, and as the trainees advancing to the next round came one step closer to achieving their dreams, Lee Dong Wook seemed to sympathize more than ever with their emotional struggles.

Not only did Lee Dong Wook comfort the eliminated trainees and enthusiastically cheer on those who had risen in the rankings, but he also showed his support and concern for the contestants whose rankings had fallen since the last ceremony.

Spoiler

After ranking No. 2 at the first elimination ceremony, Jellyfish Entertainment’s Kim Min Kyu surprised the other contestants by unexpectedly falling to No. 10 in the latest rankings. After Kim Min Kyu had made his way to the stage and thanked the fans who had voted for him, Lee Dong Wook asked the trainee in a kind voice, “Starting from last week’s episode, you kept struggling to hold back your tears. Do you typically not cry often, or are you holding back because you’re on television?”

Kim Min Kyu replied, “I don’t think it’s time for me to cry yet, so from a certain point on, I found myself struggling to fight back my tears.”

Lee Dong Wook responded gently, “It’s fine to hold back your tears, but it’s also fine to cry. If you’re going through a tough time, it’s okay to cry, and it’s okay to lean on others. It’s okay to share [your pain] with others. You don’t have to suffer all by yourself. Also, at your age, it’s okay to cry.”

Upon hearing his thoughtful advice, Maroo Entertainment’s Lee Jin Woo commented, “Wow, I just teared up at his words.”

Lee Dong Wook continued, “Tenth place is still a high ranking. Keep in mind that you still have room to rise, and I hope that you show the nation’s producers lots of good things. Congratulations.”

Later on in the ceremony, OUI Entertainment’s Kim Yo Han—who claimed No. 1 during the first round of eliminations—came in at No. 3. After hearing the trainee’s remarks, Lee Dong Wook said apologetically, “Because of me, you ended up in Level A from the beginning, and though it wasn’t my intention, I think you ended up suffering a lot as a result.”

However, Kim Yo Han made Lee Dong Wook smile by replying, “I think that it was because of that that I was able to grow this much [on the show].”

The actor then told the contestant, “Although you fell two spots in the rankings, third place isn’t a seat for just anyone. Congratulations.”