Singer Hong Seo-beom and former soccer player B, the son of Jo Gap-kyung, have been accused of infidelity and failure to pay child support. In response, Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung denied the allegations, saying "we are still waiting for the verdict."
B's ex-wife, A, on the 23rd accused B of infidelity and failure to pay child support on the YouTube channel "Garosero Research Institute." According to A, the two began dating in August 2021, but soon had a premarital pregnancy and later suffered the pain of a miscarriage. However, after returning from their honeymoon she learned she was pregnant, and she said that from then on she discovered B's affair.
A said, "B carried a second phone. He said he would use it as a work phone. After we fought, the next day he said he would meet an acquaintance and left his phone behind. Suspicious, I opened the second phone and a number appeared. That number was not the number of the acquaintance I know. That night while B was asleep I entered the number into the phone and it showed 'Teacher C,' with the mistress's name written," she explained.
Later they captured signs of an affair between B and C on a car dashcam, and when confronted immediately he reportedly said, "I was just curious. I only held hands." C reportedly denied knowing B was married and said, "He said he was preparing for a divorce. I was deceived. He said they were living separately," she countered.
But signs of the affair continued, and about a month after B ran away, in July 2024, at a three-way meeting C admitted the affair and apologized, A said. Ultimately A filed for divorce, and last September the court ruled that the marriage was broken due to B's infidelity and ordered 30 million won in consolation money and monthly child support of 800,000 won. However, A claimed, "the consolation money and child support payments have not been made at all."
She said she also contacted her in-laws Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung, but "no one answers. Hong Seo-beom told me, 'This is your business, handle it yourselves.'" A said she had been trying to stay quiet and not generate any articles because of the child, but when she saw Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung appearing on family variety shows until recently she said, "I wanted to stay quiet because of the child. But every time I see them on TV it feels like they are ignoring what our family went through. All of it. I am so angry I can't stand it." She added, "I think they should take proper responsibility for what they did wrong — the child's support, and they surely knew how hard I was at the time, but they ignored it. I wish they wouldn't appear on broadcasts."
After the exposé video spread, on the 24th Hong Seo-beom told "Garosero Research Institute," "I deeply regret that a conclusion was predetermined to demonize our couple by broadcasting a compilation of a long-ago variety show we appeared on and an illegally recorded phone call with the other party's mother made before the baby was born, after listening only to the other party's one-sided claims. I watched my son's marriage and divorce lawsuit and scolded him many times out of sadness, but because it involved adults' love and divorce I felt it was not my place to meddle and hoped it would be resolved amicably, so I watched quietly," he said.
He said, "To tell the facts, after the first-instance ruling my son first paid 20 million won of the 30 million won consolation money, and when he was about to pay the child support the other party filed an appeal. My son's lawyer told him to withhold child support until the trial ended, so we are waiting for the ruling," and he added, "I'm the most opposed to double standards. I did not live so shamelessly and meanly."
Jo Gap-kyung also reportedly said, "Not everything has been decided yet." Later Hong Seo-beom, in a call with "Garosero Research Institute," said, "This is not a finished case, and we don't know how it will end. Although it was said the divorce lawsuit was notified, my son did not just accept it and hand over money; during that process the other party filed an appeal. So it is not over yet. I thought we would speak and issue a statement after it was finalized. I don't have the time to judge and check how the children lived day by day. This is the story of those two people," drawing a line.
He continued, "I heard they say on broadcasts that photos were sent to us, but we never received any photos, A never tried to call me, and I never blocked anyone. Our son after the first-instance ruling handed over 20 million won. Apparently there had been mutual debts among the kids. She said she lent 30 million won when A started her business. We were going to offset the 30 million won, but I said, 'Let's settle it cleanly and pay what should be paid.' But when the other side filed an appeal again, the lawyer told him to temporarily withhold child support because they didn't know how it would end. In that situation, on the broadcasts they made it look like he didn't give a single won of the 30 million and made him look like a cowardly person," he protested.
On the other hand, regarding the 20 million won A said, "I didn't know who gave it to me because it was received through mistress C's lawyer's office; I didn't know they gave it and I didn't know who gave it. I only know that C gave it," she explained. In fact, the court ruled that mistress C must pay A 20 million won in consolation money. He said C did not appeal, and only appealed against B. Regarding allegations of debt with B he said, "When setting up an office we were a little short on expense. B took out a loan and I said I would pay the loan interest, but if we ran it together wouldn't it become joint property? So I gave that (30 million won) and was actually putting 700,000 won into B's Youth Hope savings. But now they are asking me to repay 30 million won without a promissory note," he countered.
[photo] tvN, OSEN DB
[OSEN]