The Korean reality TV show “2 Day & 1 Night,” which airs on channel KBS, has removed Korean actor Kim Seon-ho as a regular cast member after he admitted to forcing his former girlfriend to have an abortion last year.
"We've decided to remove Kim. We will cut out takes of him from upcoming shows as much as possible to minimize the discomfort of our viewers,” according to the show’s producers, Yonhap News reported on Oct. 20.
Kim Seon-ho became a mainstay of “2 Days & 1 Night” season 4, which started airing in December 2019.
Last Oct. 17, a woman posted on the Korean website Pann Nate to say that “popular actor ‘K’” forced her to abort their baby last year with the promise of marriage and that they would live together. The woman was reported to be an influencer who used to work in the Korean broadcasting industry.
On Oct. 20, Kim Seon-ho issued a statement to admit the accusations.
“I would like to apologize for making a late statement with my fear of watching my own name constantly being mentioned in many articles,” he said, according to the Korea Herald.
He added, “Though we were in a relationship with good feelings to each other, I have hurt her with my carelessness and inconsiderate actions. I would like to apologize in person, but I am currently waiting some time to ask forgiveness. I would like to say sorry with this writing.”
According to him, “It seems like I forgot about the people who have supported me to become the actor Kim Seon-ho. I would like to, once again, apologize for causing trouble to the people who have worked with me. I know my writing is insufficient for an apology, but I would like to express my sincerity. I am sorry.”
Before his removal from “2 Days & 1 Night,” netizens asked the program to remove Kim Seon-ho while others opposed it.
Kim Seon-ho’s departure from “2 Days & 1 Night” follows other stars who left the show due to personal controversies.
These include Jung Joon-young, who was removed from the TV show due to the Burning Sun club scandal; MC Mong due to his military service controversy; Kang Ho-dong due to tax evasion; and Lee Soo-geun due to illegal gambling.
Kim Seon-ho won the Rookie Award for “2 Days & 1 Night” at the 2020 KBS Entertainment Awards.
With Kim Seon-ho out of "2 Days & 1 Night," the remaining cast members are Kim Jong-min, DinDin, Ravi, Yeon Jung-hoon and Moon Se-yoon.