According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s real transaction price disclosure system, a single-family home in Yulhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, purchased by Choi Min-hwan, was sold for 3.8 billion won (approx 2.7 million USD) in mid-August. The transaction has not yet been cancelled, but it has not yet been recorded in the real estate registry.
Choi Min-hwan purchased this building in 2015 for 1.25 billion won (approx 890,000 USD), demolished the old house, and rebuilt it into a multi-family home with one basement floor and one or two floors above ground, where he has lived with his family. Therefore, a simple calculation shows that the market price difference amounts to about 2 billion won (approx. 1.4 million USD).
Meanwhile, Choi Min-hwan married Yulhee, formerly of Laboum, in 2018 and has two children: a son and a daughter. However, they announced their divorce by mutual consent after five years of marriage in December.
Recently, Yulhee revealed through her personal YouTube channel that her ex-husband Choi Min-hwan had frequently visited adult entertainment establishments during their marriage and committed sexual harassment. She disclosed that Choi Min-hwan had stuffed money in her chest in front of family members and that “he touched my private parts and grabbed my chest in front of his parents.”
Moreover, the public was particularly shocked when voice recordings were released of Choi Min-hwan having multiple late-night conversations with what appeared to be an adult entertainment establishment worker, asking about “girls.” Choi Min-hwan reportedly used prostitution-related terminology, asking questions like “Aren’t there any (girls) at room salons?” which sparked public outrage. The situation was made worse by the fact that the other party was even advising him to go on vacation with his family instead.
As a result, Choi Min-hwan left KBS 2TV’s “The Return of Superman” and temporarily withdrew from FT Island.
At the time, the public insisted that someone who allegedly commit sex crimes should not publicly showcasing their children to the entire nation. This is why KBS 2TV’s “The Return of Superman” repeatedly faces calls for cancellation.
Meanwhile, on April 7th, FT Island’s Choi Min-hwan started to appear on “The Return of Superman” as a single father raising three children after divorcing Yulhee. He won enthusiastic support from viewers as a super daddy who managed everything from matching the fashion preferences of his 5-year-old twin daughters A-yoon and A-rin to taking competent care of his mature eldest son Jae-yul.
According to OSEN’s investigation, all videos and replays featuring Choi Min-hwan and his children Jae-yul, A-rin, and A-yoon have been completely removed from OTT services. An official explained that the production team took swift action to minimize any harm to the children. Consequently, videos of the Choi family are no longer available on the KBS website, domestic OTT service WAVVE, and portal sites.
The same happened with Kang Kyung-joon, who was previously embroiled in adultery allegations. Kang Kyung-joon had won public acclaim for his “love story of the century” with fellow actor Jang Shin-young. They met on the JTBC drama “Flower of Revenge” in 2013 and got married, touching people’s hearts as he lovingly cared for her son from a previous marriage.
Kang Kyung-joon also solidified his image as an affectionate father by appearing on “The Return of Superman” with his two sons. His 17-year-old eldest son actively pursued broadcasting activities, including taking on a minor role in the drama “Korea-Khitan War.” Last year, viewers were warmed by the stories of handsome Jung-an, who resembles his mother, and sweet 5-year-old Jung-woo, who takes after his father.
However, on December 26th last year, Kang Kyung-joon became the subject of news reports about a 50 million won (around $36,000 USD) damages lawsuit. He was accused of being an adulterer. The plaintiff claimed that Kang Kyung-joon had an affair with his wife, Mrs. A. According to the complaint, Kang and Mrs. A committed adultery while working together at a real estate brokerage firm.
The case concluded with Kang Kyung-joon accepting the plaintiff’s claim. While accepting the 50 million won damages claim, his legal representative stated that although it wasn’t adultery, they accepted the plaintiff’s claims rather than engage in a lengthy legal battle because Kang Kyung-joon was struggling with the situation.
Through his legal representative, Kang Kyung-joon also issued an apology, saying, “Although I wanted to pursue legal proceedings regarding aspects that differ from the truth or require explanation, I concluded that enduring these facts is my responsibility, as the misunderstandings and criticism began due to my own shortcomings.”
Additionally, Uhm Tae-woong and his daughter Uhm Ji-on joined “The Return of Superman” in January 2015 and brought smiles to viewers’ homes for 10 months with their pure chemistry, but Uhm Tae-woong shocked the public the following year when he became involved in a prostitution scandal. He was accused of sexual assault by Ms. B, a female employee at a massage parlor.
Police investigation revealed that Ms. B had conspired with the establishment’s owner to file charges in an attempt to extort money, and Uhm Tae-woong was fined 1 million won ($725 USD) for prostitution rather than sexual assault charges. While public disappointment was significant, his wife Yoon Hye-jin stood by him, and fortunately, the family now shares their happy life through their YouTube channel.
“The Return of Superman” has established itself as one of Korea’s representative entertainment shows during its 11-year run since its first broadcast in 2013. It has produced many beloved families including Choo Sung-hoon and Sa-rang, Song Il-gook and his triplets, Lee Dong-gook and his five children, Sam Hammington and the William-Bentley brothers, Gary and Ha-oh, and Moon Hee-jun and So-yul. The fathers and children were regular trophy recipients at year-end entertainment awards.
However, there is a general consensus that children have to bear too much burden simply because they are celebrities’ families. It’s particularly heartbreaking to see the permanently archived faces of these children who are now associated with their once-loving Superman dads’ transgressions.
Source: Naver