Kim Jung‑hyun Speaks Out on Gaslighting and Refusing Seohyun’s Arm Link in Cold Press Conference
On the June 13th broadcast of KBS 2TV’s variety program Heart on Wheels, the cast members—Lee Min-jung, Boom, Ahn Jae-hyun, Kim Jung-hyun and Kim Jae-won—visited Masa Village in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province for their third supercar sales challenge, with guest Shin Dong-yup joining them.
When asked “When was the most difficult time for you?”, Kim Jung-hyun replied, “Honestly, I don’t think there were any hardships. There were probably times I felt wronged and ashamed. But after going through it all, I realized there’s nothing really difficult. Like Hamlet’s line, it’s only a matter of ‘to be or not to be’.”
The broadcast also displayed headlines from past news articles about Kim Jung-hyun’s gaslighting and attitude controversy.
Kim continued, “If I keep holding on to the difficult things, of course it’ll feel hard. But rather than denial, by living as if nothing was hard, I’ve met many good people and actually became healthier.”
He added, “I read something recently that said life is a series of pain and hardship, but what really makes us suffer is our unyielding strong ego. When I was having a hard time, I worked out, quit drinking, and met people to create a mindset that what I was going through wasn’t everything. I ended up meeting even better people. Thinking back, there’s really nothing I can’t overcome.”
Looking back on his past controversy, Kim said, “After going through that and with time passing, I realized that nothing else really matters—only the question of whether I live or die remained.”
He added, “I learned that if I keep holding onto the painful things, they’ll just keep hurting me. I’m not denying what happened, but living as if those hardships never existed has helped me meet good people and become healthier.”
Hearing Kim’s reflections, host Shin Dong-yup commented, “We’re adults too, but it’s amazing how you’ve come to realize things that way,” expressing his empathy.
Meanwhile, Kim Jung-hyun was embroiled in controversy in 2018 during the press conference for MBC’s drama Time, where he displayed a cold attitude toward co-star SNSD Seohyun. Even during the Q&A session with reporters, he maintained a lethargic expression and demeanor. Notably, during the photo time, when Seohyun tried to link arms with him, he refused. After the press conference, Seohyun reportedly shed tears in the waiting room, which some staff members witnessed.
In 2024, after receiving the Top Excellence Award at the KBS Drama Awards, Kim gave a heartfelt acceptance speech:
“Since I began acting, I’ve hurt many people and caused discomfort with my inappropriate and wrongful behavior. I sincerely apologize. I don’t believe an apology means everything is resolved, nor do I expect forgiveness. But I see this as a necessary step I must take to continue living.”
Kim Jung-hyun’s behavior at the time was reportedly due to gaslighting by his then-girlfriend, actress Seo Ye-ji. It was revealed that Seo Ye-ji had demanded that Kim act cold toward his female co-stars. Text messages later revealed Seo had referred to him as “Kim Stiff.”