The woman being linked to Korean actor and “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” star Kim Seon-ho and who made accusations that she was forced to have an abortion last year with the promise of marriage worked in the broadcasting industry in South Korea.
While the woman did not name him and only wrote “popular actor ‘K’” in an online post last Oct. 17, Korean netizens and the media pointed to Kim Seon-ho as the subject based on the details of the post.
Salt Entertainment, Kim Seon-ho’s agency, broke its silence after two days and said, “We sincerely apologize for not being able to respond quickly. We are currently confirming the facts of the anonymous posting. As the facts have not yet been clearly confirmed, we sincerely ask you to wait a little longer. We sincerely apologize for causing concern over something bad.”
Kim Seon-ho has not personally addressed the accusations, either to deny or admit it. He was supposed to meet the Korean media today (Oct. 20) for interviews regarding “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” but his agency cancelled it. The media interviews of his co-stars Shin Min-a and Lee Sang-yi were also cancelled.
In an exclusive story by Korean media outlet SpoTV News on Oct. 19, it was reported that the woman is an influencer who previously worked in the broadcasting industry.
The report added that the woman is a beauty who was active in broadcasting from the late 2000s to the mid 2010s. She left the broadcasting industry and is now running a commerce-related business.
Products endorsed by Kim Seon-ho took action amid the controversy. Brands Domino’s Pizza Korea and Korean online shopping website 11th Street have deleted photos of Kim Seon-ho or hid videos featuring the actor.
Korean fans of Kim Seon-ho have defended the actor and warned that they will take legal actions against those who spread malicious and false information against him.
While some Korean netizens have demanded that Kim Seon-ho be removed from the reality show “2 Days & 1 Night” where he is a mainstay, fans have launched a petition titled “I am against Kim Seon-ho’s departure” on the KBS TV channel website. The petition has garnered 11,200 signatures as of writing.
In her online post on the Pann Nate website last Oct. 17, which has garnered 3.3 million views to date, the woman wrote, “He would know just by reading this. I am his ex-girlfriend. We have been seeing each other since early 2020. It's been more than four months since we broke up, and I thought he would sincerely ask for forgiveness once.”
She said she became pregnant with his baby in July 2020, adding, “I too was embarrassed and scared of a sudden pregnancy but I wanted to have a baby if the one I love gave me courage.”
The woman said “actor ‘K’” urged her to have an abortion and told her, “If you have a child now, I have to pay 900 million won (about $762,000) in damages, and I don’t have 900 million won right now.”
“He even talked about his parents, and he said, ‘What if I can’t act because of this child, so even my parents sit on the street?’ In fact, I later found out that he didn't even have to pay a 900 million penalty for having a baby but he persuaded her to have an abortion with lies,” she said.
The woman said actor “K” promised he would introduce her to his parents, that they would live together next year and he would marry her in two years.
“I hesitated at that moment. I still regret that I didn't have the courage to insist on raising a child on my own,” she said.
She said she had an abortion and he did not accompany her to the hospital. Instead, he sent his acquaintance. He also sent 2 million ($1,692) for surgery and hospital expenses.
The woman said after her abortion, the actor’s attitude changed. He broke up with her with a phone call.
“If I didn't write like this, I would not be able to live a proper life in the shadow of the pain he gave me for the rest of my life,” she said.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Kim Seon-ho’s exclusive contact with Salt Entertainment expired in September.