Actor Koo Seong-hwan is caught up in a controversy over building ownership, and a past appearance on "You Quiz on the Block" is being spotlighted.
Koo Seong-hwan attracted attention by confessing to water damage caused by heavy rain on the broadcast of "Home Alone" on the 8th. In particular, he revealed that he checked the leaking area on the rooftop and performed waterproofing work and wallpapering in the master bedroom himself.
However, after the broadcast, internet users expressed curiosity about Koo's actions of doing wallpapering and waterproofing without notifying the landlord, and eventually, Koo directly addressed the issue.
On the 12th, he posted a video titled, "After the broadcast, many people sent me DMs asking why I did the roof work and wallpapering myself instead of getting the landlord to do it! I will explain everything. This is the first and last answer," on his YouTube channel.
He stated, "It's been about three days since the broadcast of 'Home Alone' aired, and I received a lot of messages on Instagram and comments on YouTube pushing me with questions. People are asking in comments, 'Why are you doing the roof epoxy instead of the landlord?' 'Why are you doing the wallpapering instead of the landlord?' There has been continuous controversy surrounding the landlord, building ownership, and how many buildings he owns that whenever the show airs, so I won't talk about this again after today."
Regarding the villa he lives in, Koo Seong-hwan explained, "The portion of this building belongs to my father. And I received a gift of the opposite side around 2021 or 2022. Naturally, I've paid all the gift tax. However, it was a bit awkward for me to share my past and personal story on broadcast, so I let it slide, but I didn't expect it to become this big."
He added details about his father's health condition and the background of the gift. "My father is a national veteran, and he has undergone gamma therapy on his brain. After receiving treatment, he experienced sudden dementia as a side effect. Thus, the fact is that he gifted me half of the multi-family building," explaining that due to his father's declining health, he took on building maintenance duties such as rooftop management.
Koo strongly rejected allegations from some viewers that he was pretending to be poor. He stated, "The most ridiculous thing to me is that I have never pretended to be poor in any program. Why would I go out of my way to pretend to be poor? While filming, I eat as I want and live happily, so I have never pretended to be poor," specifying that the actual living area is 18 pyeong, 20 pyeong including exterior.
Finally, he mentioned, "I pay the rent to my father punctually every month. The gift was something I received early because my father is unwell, and I am paying the rent on time," adding, "I made some vague statements, which led to misunderstandings; I'm sorry for that. But it wasn't intentional, and sharing personal matters feels a bit embarrassing, you know. So please don't misunderstand, and I hope you understand this."
Despite such clarifications, debates continued among internet users. Those in support of Koo noted that during his appearance on "You Quiz on the Block" in February, he emphasized that he had never pretended to be poor regarding his father's building.
In February during his appearance on "You Quiz on the Block," Koo Seong-hwan said, "(In the days of obscurity), 20 years is just a word. Enduring this time is really difficult." He recounted how younger colleagues ask him, "How did you manage to hold on?"
Koo responded, "I haven't endured. I've lived joyfully and fun every day. Today, I meet my seniors, and it's all a part of the process which makes it fun. It's not that I held on; I just enjoyed it and happened to be here at the right timing. I've never held on."
Additionally, he expressed, "If I had to endure, could I do this job for 20 years? I absolutely don't think so. As I get older, I think I need to let go of timing, jealousy, and greed, and learn how to live life without those feelings."
During that day, Koo particularly clarified the rumor of being a chaebol. He said, "The misunderstanding is that I've been referenced as the son of a chaebol. An absurd comment is that my father is said to own four buildings, and even the villa that Ju-seung lived in is said to be my father's property. My father is just a worker at a small company. He worked his whole life and only has a small villa in Cheonho-dong; he can't support me. I don't know why the broadcast depicted my living situation in such a way. It's about 18 pyeong."
Debuting in 2004 with the film "Low Life," Koo Seong-hwan gained attention last year for his appearance on the MBC variety program "Home Alone" as a down-to-earth person who enjoys life.
Living in a rooftop villa in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, his humorous and heartfelt portrayals of applying sunscreen liberally to avoid white casts, enjoying hearty meals, and relaxing on weekends with his beloved dog Kkot-bun have endeared him to viewers.
[Photo] Video capture, OSEN DB
[OSEN]