‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ star, ex-girlfriend apologize after abortion scandal erupts in South Korea

October 21, 2021

For days it was only rumored that “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” star Kim Seon-ho was the elusive “Actor K” that an anonymous woman online claimed to have demanded her to get an abortion. But on Wednesday, the actor confirmed the accusations when he apologized in a statement released by his agency.

The accusations: On Sunday, an anonymous user claiming to be an ex-girlfriend of a rising star identified as “Actor K” shared a post titled “Revealing Actor K’s two-faced and shameless true nature” on a Korean online community board.

The user claimed that while the two were in a relationship, she became pregnant with K’s child last July. Though she wanted to keep the child, the actor convinced her to terminate the pregnancy with a promise of marriage at a later point.
She also added that the actor said he’d lose advertising deals from the damage to his public image that could result from having a child before marriage.
“After getting the abortion, Actor K’s attitude changed, and in May, all of a sudden he decided to break up,” the user wrote, according to Chosun Ilbo.
People quickly began to speculate that the actor in question was the rising star of the romantic comedy series “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha,” which made it to Netflix’s global Top 10 streaming chart earlier this month. The series ended on the same day that the post was published.
Kim’s agency, Salt Entertainment, announced the following day that they were looking more deeply into the post.

The apology and aftermath: Salt Entertainment released a formal apology from Kim, who admitted to hurting the woman through his “inconsiderate and careless behavior.”

“I wanted to see her in person to apologize directly, but I’m unable to do that now and am waiting for the right time. For now, I hope to send my sincere apology through this statement,” Kim continued.
He also apologized to his fans and those that were let down by his actions: “I am sorry for disappointing all those who believed in me and supported me until the end. It’s only because of the people who supported me that I was able to become the actor Kim Seon-ho, but I had forgotten that. I apologize for the harm I’ve caused to the many people that I’ve worked with on various productions due to my mistakes.”
Some advertisers, including Domino’s Pizza Korea and Canon Korea, immediately dropped deals with Kim when the allegations first gained traction, according to The Korea Herald. More companies have since severed ties with the actor.
Television network KBS2 announced that the actor would leave their reality show “2 Days, 1 night” and that any scenes including the actor that were filmed prior to the incident would be edited out as much as possible, reported Korea JoongAng Daily.
Two upcoming films that Kim was cast in, “Date at 2 O’Clock” and “Dog Days,” will also be replacing his role.
Meanwhile, interviews of Kim’s “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” co-stars, Shin Min-a and Lee Sang-yi, have also been canceled.

The ex-girlfriend’s response: Kim’s ex-girlfriend has since updated her post with an apology, as she feels that she’s “unintentionally caused damage to many people.”

“There was a time that he and I were truly in love. It doesn’t make me feel good to see him collapse from some of my extreme wording.”
She added that she received an apology from him and that she’s come to realize there may have been some misunderstandings between the two.
She hopes that false rumors about the incident and their relationship will come to an end.

Reactions: Many fans were shattered to learn that the actor was involved in the scandal. While some insist that Kim should be held responsible for his actions, others continue to remain on his side particularly after hearing his ex’s response.

Several petitions to keep the actor in the upcoming movies and shows have reached thousands of signatures on various websites. On Change.org, a petition to keep him in the “2 Days, 1 Night” show has reached over 5,500 signatures in less than a day of posting.
The petition challenges “cancel culture” in South Korea, which some fans have criticized for destroying several actors’ careers in recent years.

Featured Image via “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha”

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