South Korean star Kim Seon-ho’s career took a nosedive last week when a scandal involving a former relationship broke the day after the finale of his hit series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. However, a new report released on Tuesday by Korean media outlet Dispatch – best known for breaking celebrity dating rumours and investigations into the entertainment industry - reveals his side of the story.
Through a timeline of events, a series of text message conversations, and a variety of other information – much of it allegedly provided by Kim’s friends – the report shows Kim’s kindness appears to have been taken advantage of by a former girlfriend, who previously worked in the news and is now an influencer.
The chaos began on October 17 with an anonymous internet post, ostensibly by Kim’s former girlfriend, that claimed a star - later revealed to be referring to Kim - had coerced her into having an abortion, only to abandon her later, and had cruelly broken up with her after leading her to believe they were in a relationship that would end in marriage.
Friends of Kim, however, presented a different situation in the Dispatch report, revealing that Kim had been an apparently dedicated boyfriend who took care of his partner when facing an unplanned pregnancy, and continued their relationship beyond that incident to the degree that she met his parents.
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The friends and other sources Dispatch spoke to allegedly said the pair had a typical relationship and, despite the framing of the career-shattering post, Kim never attempted to hide their romance from those around them, beyond the norm in South Korea of many actors keeping relationships from the public.
According to the report, the pair broke up after a series of questionable circumstances, including the girlfriend allegedly seeing other men and secretly keeping images and video content of Kim on her personal devices. Dispatch also reported that harassment from gang members and other associates of the girlfriend and her ex-husband also made it difficult for Kim, then a rising star, to remain with her.
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The day before the release of the Dispatch report, Kim’s management company, Salt Entertainment, issued a statement clarifying its relationship with the star, after rumours circulated that Salt and the former girlfriend had conspired to damage Kim’s rising career with salacious rumours to keep him with the company.
According to Salt it is in contract with Kim until mid-2023, after which they have an agreement to continue their relationship together until 2027 unless one side ends it.
Before the scandal shattered Kim’s public image, the actor was fast becoming one of South Korea’s biggest stars and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, which he co-starred in alongside Shin Min-a, was one of the year’s biggest shows.
Kim lost endorsement deals and several other work-related roles as the situation blew up last week. He later issued an apology saying, among other things, “I hurt her due to my carelessness and inconsiderate actions.”
