All about Kim Seon-ho's scandal, from accusations of abuse and abortion to how Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha cast are affected
PHOTO: Instagram/seonho__kim
PUBLISHED ONOctober 19, 2021 9:42 AMByKwok Kar PengOn Sunday (Oct 17) night when K-drama Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha screened its last episode, fans were heartbroken — not just because the saccharine-sweet romance series had ended.
Earlier that evening, an anonymous Korean netizen wrote on the online community website Nate Pann claiming her ex-boyfriend — actor K who recently rose to fame — manipulated and mentally abused her, including forcing her to have an abortion.
While the netizen didn't name the actor and there isnt any proof as yet, her claims suggest that it is Kim Seon-ho, the much beloved lead actor in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. Korean media singled him out and reporter-YouTuber Lee Jin-ho also released a video declaring the 35-year-old star as actor K.
Widespread repercussions are being felt in the showbiz eco-system. Here's what happened.
The accusations against actor K
The netizen claimed she and actor K began dating in early 2020 and they broke up four months ago after he became famous and changed drastically.
When she became pregnant, he allegedly told her to get an abortion as having a child would affect his career and his ability to support his parents. He also allegedly told her that he would have to pay 900 million won (S$1.02 million) in penalties if he had a child. According to the woman, actor K said even though they would lose the baby, he would marry her two years later.
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This is despite the doctor telling her that she might have difficulties conceiving in the future if she had an abortion. She proceeded with it nevertheless as she believed his promise.
Afterwards, she claimed he was irritable towards her, picked fights with her if she responded in a way that he didn't like, and criticised her over small matters like how she texted her messages. He also allegedly blamed her when a Korean media outlet found out about their romance.
She said actor K is two-faced, pretending to be a nice guy on TV while cussing often in front of her. He also allegedly badmouthed his co-workers, including directors and co-stars, and didn't appreciate gifts and letters from his fans.
He gradually deleted photos of her in his phone, and demanded she do the same, including deleting her phone messaging app to prevent reporters from getting access to their messages.
The woman claimed she's in a state of severe psychological and physical trauma because of actor K.
Is Kim Seon-ho actor K?
If the netizen's claims are true, there are several reasons why people might think actor K is Seon-ho.
For one, the woman said actor K was a theatre actor before turning to TV and recently became very famous after starring in two TV dramas, which fit Seon-ho's bill.
She added that actor K made the news recently when he yelled at someone during a programme. In March this year, Seon-ho shouted at the producing director of the variety show 2 Days & 1 Night — some say in jest — and some viewers criticised him for being rude.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MMOAYM7pE4&t=25s[/embed]
Companies remove Seon-ho
Within two days of the allegations, three brands in South Korea pre-emptively removed all images and publicity collateral that featured Seon-ho.
Domino's Pizza Korea, Canon Korea and Food Bucket reportedly hid advertisements and posts that featured Seon-ho from their social media accounts. A Domino's Pizza commercial that featured him was also set to private on the brand's official YouTube channel.
Fans defend Seon-ho, announce legal action
Yesterday, Seon-ho's supporters rallied together to issue a statement, stressing they would not tolerate groundless acts that cause pain to him.
"The fans of Kim Seon-ho announce that they will take all possible legal measures, including criminal charges and civil damages, without any leniency or tolerance, against those spreading false facts to the end and are continuously monitoring those who demean his personality with serious swear words and insulting remarks," they said.
Co-stars of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha affected
The three main leads of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha were scheduled to hold wrap-up interviews with the Korean press after the finale of the drama series was aired.
However, lead actress Shin Min-ah cancelled her interview — originally scheduled for today — on Oct 18. Her agency said it was postponed due to "internal circumstances".
The agencies representing Seon-ho and actor Lee Sang-yi today cancelled their interviews, which were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday respectively, citing the same reason as Min-ah.
Seon-ho's agency finally responds
As of writing, Seon-ho hasn't responded to the allegations, but his agency issued a statement today apologising for the "startling news".
It said: "First of all, we apologise for the delay in releasing this official statement about the speculations around him. We are currently looking into the online post and verifying the story with Kim Seon-ho himself. Please note that nothing has been confirmed yet and we ask that you give us more time to fact check."
kwokkarpeng@asiaone.com