Korean singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong, who starred in the dramas “Boys Over Flowers” and “Playful Kiss,” is getting married.
The 35-year-old star made the announcement before fans during his “Gift Concert” held on Feb. 27 at the Gurumare Theater in Seoul.
“Preparing for this concert, I have been reminiscing about the past days I have lived. I have received so much attention and love since my debut, beyond what I deserve,” he said in a video message to fans.
He added, When I was younger, I had this vague dream. The dream that someday, I would bring things to a close by thanking all my fans, by staging a free concert to meet and thank everyone for their love.”
Kim Hyun-joong added:
“You were what kept me going during the darkest and most challenging days. You told me that I can live again, that I can sing again. Watching you struggle with me, crying with me and suffering for my sake, I could master the courage to begin again with your encouragement, love and trust.
“Because you were there to listen to me sing, I could make up my mind to start fresh and open a new chapter in my life. I feel like I have lived very fiercely by myself in the past because I wanted to pay you back by overcoming everything.
“Making music and learning, looking at my surroundings with wary eyes thinking that I must not make any more mistakes. I pushed myself, thinking that's the only way to pay back for your love.
“But I feel that running forward by myself, I wanted to impress you and feel like I have acted like someone I am not again. You have already accepted me with all my shortcomings and have given me wavering support all throughout, but I guess I got carried away with the pressure on my shoulders.
“When I was young, I thought I could show you my gratitude and pay you back for your love through a free concert like this. But now I realize that I may have had a very naive thought. Your trust kept me going through my tumultuous life, and the very thought that I could pay you back by singing a few songs would have been delusional.
“But considering the love and support that Henecia have given me, I thought I would regret if I told you this story only with a written statement. So, with this performance as pretext, let me say something that is hard and tricky to tell you .
“As this is the most difficult announcement to make in my life and also I would have to ask for your understanding, I contemplated a lot on how I should address this. And I decided it would be the best to face you and let you hear my own words, as you have been sending me genuine love .
“I found someone whom I am blessed to spend my life with. With the pandemic still going on, there will be no ceremony, but I would love to start this new phase in my life with your blessings. So that is why I am telling you this news during this performance.
“As you guys have been supporting me with love so that I can continue with my musical life, I hope you can show the same support and faith to my partner as a new member of the family.
“I know you must be curious but I ask you to understand. Unlike me, she lives a private life, so we are beginning our marriage without exposure to public media. I still have a lot of dreams that I want to fulfill with Henecia.
“I am not going to push myself without being able to take in the surroundings, and I want to go with the flow of life with you by my side and freely show the world all that I am capable of. Of course, I don't think that it will all be a breeze.
“There may come a time when I will have to collide head-on into harsh winds and storms. But if I can have Henecia by my side like I have now, I believe that I can overcome all those things once more.
“As long as I have your support and encouragement in pursuing my dreams, I think I'll be able to communicate more comfortably and live my life as a good musician and a good actor, as well as a good leader of Henecia.
“I don't want to drag this out and start rambling. Going forward, I will move beyond the past and live my new life in gratitude. And I will live my life as an artist with depth, with a heavier sense of responsibility.
“I will live a life I can show you with pride, so that I don't regret each day. I may have said this once. That writing lets you express truths you can’t see. I hope this short letter can convey to you all my love and gratitude for you in their entirety.
“Stay healthy in these difficult times, and I will talk to you again soon. Thank you and I love you, Henecia.”
His career was going so well until his former girlfriend filed a case of physical assault against him in August 2014.
Kim Hyun-joong apologized the following month saying, “I’m really sorry for inflicting mental and physical injuries to the person I trusted and loved for two years with the incident.” The woman dropped the case two days after his apology.
In April 2015, the woman filed a 1.6 billion won ($1.33 million) civil case against him, alleging that because of physical assault, she miscarried his baby in 2014.
Kim Hyun-joong filed a counter suit, saying that she was not really pregnant and that she spread rumors about their relationship.
He won the case when the Seoul Central District Court awarded him 100 million won ($83,000) on Aug. 10, 2016 in his countersuit against the woman, who is the mother of his baby that was born in September 2015.
The court dismissed the woman’s lawsuit and ordered her to pay the star the amount for defamation, adding that circumstantial evidence showed that she was not pregnant at the time.
In a paternity test in December 2015, it turned out that Kim Hyun-joong was the father of his ex-girlfriend’s baby. He promised then that he would take full responsibility for the baby.
In November 2020, Korea’s Supreme Court sided with Kim Hyun-joong in the civil and criminal cases involving his former girlfriend.
Kim Hyun-joong debuted as a member of K-pop group SS501 in 2005. In 2009, he starred in “Boys over Flowers” as Yoon Ji-hu together with Lee Min-ho, Ku Hye-sun, Kim Bum, Kim Joon and Kim So-eun.