The month long personal turned very public legal matter between Kim Hyun Joong and his now ex-girlfriend “A” may be coming to an end. From the moment the shocking news broke that Kim Hyun Joong’s ex-girlfriend had gone to the police to allege domestic violence against her, this case has understandably riveted K-ent due to Kim Hyun Joong’s popularity as well as bringing to the forefront domestic violence which remains much too common in this modern day and age. We can put a man on the moon and reduce our lives to a little computer chip, yet some human beings still resort to basic brute force when it comes to having a disagreement. Today Kim Hyun Joong released a very public apology to A on his social media account, an act of contrition that may or may not have included actually apologizing to A in person first.
I hope he did that, any apology needs to be delivered to her personally before it’s presented to the public. The apology is short and Kim Hyun Joong takes full responsibility for hurting A mentally and physically in the past. He also admits he dated her for two years by saying “the girl I loved for two years”, which further makes the Keyeast official statement laughable in yet another falsehood in claiming that Kim Hyun Joong and A only dated for a few recent months. A’s lawyer has said last week that she wants him to accept all responsibility and apologize, and if that happens she will consider withdrawing charges and having the case dismissed. Kim Hyun Joong’s lawyer said today that with this apology A will withdraw her case but A’s lawyer countered that the decision to withdraw the charges hasn’t been made yet and A will need to review the apology and decide if Kim Hyun Joong is sincere or not. You can read the full apology below and decide for yourself.
“Hello. I’m Kim Hyun Joong. This matter has hurt a girl that I have believed in and loved for two years, both mentally and physically. I am really sorry. I have done what a man should never do and feel very ashamed. This matter is completely my fault and there is no reason for her to be criticized and blamed. I once again apologize to her, as well as her family and friends. More than anything, I hope she will accept my apology and forgive me. I will learn from this and strive to live my life with more consideration and in a positive way.”
If Kim Hyun Joong wasn’t a public figure then this matter would not be fodder for public discourse and two people involved in the incident will have to hash it out. But he is a public figure and understands that his actions would subject him to scrutiny in a way that our next door neighbor married couple’s physical fight would at most get only the street buzzing about it. I think this matter will be resolved soon either in a settlement or A simply lets it go after getting an apology that she wanted from Kim Hyun Joong. Whether his career continues on as is in Korea and/or overseas, only time will tell.
All that trouble for an online written apology? I would personally want an apology in person.
As I stated on SOOMPI, What I really would like to see him do is to go on national news and apologize to her for what he’s done. An apology on his website just doesn’t cut it. This just seems like a method in which to protect his career and his fan base who are the usual ones going on his website. Why must Ms. A be forced to go on his website to see what he wrote. There was a press conference when he indicated that he hit her only one time and the other charges were exaggerated then there should be a press conference where he apologizes.
I would also like for him to apologize in person.
It was prettily written but I am not completely satisfied. His apology sounds like it’s catered foremost to his remaining fans. It’s still vague enough that they can still interpret it as they’ve always interpreted everything so far.
Regardless of him being a public figure or not, he still needs to receive punishment and accept the consequences of his actions. If this woman would not have spoken out and gone to the police he would have continued doing this, it is out in the open and therefore his lack of self-control, his abusive and demeaning behaviour and attitude about women has been revealed.
He needs help, his fans and the media should let him know this is not acceptable. what a horrible example to everyone but mostly to youth. Being victimized is not right, No woman should accept this and no man should do this.
This girl rocks …. Period …. Korean Law is such bullshit … It’s shameful that he was doing concert and making money and having fun even after all the wrong doing …. WTF … This girl couldn’t do anything except getting public apology and she got it … No matter what … No matter how big he is going to be in K POP he will always remember as GF abuser …. So that’s the biggest punishment she can give him in the Men’s world in Korea …. What the poor girl could do if money and power is above the Law …. Shame on you KHJ and his company .
This Matter? The wording is strange to me…is it because of the translation into English? If I were the victim, I would only be satisfied if he said something like: “I’m sorry I beat you so badly more than once so that you needed hospitalization. I’m a complete shit who needs psychiatric help. I will get this help before I ever even consider having another relationship with a woman.” A public apology like that might satisfy me…and a little jail time.
Fully agree. KHJ apology is too vague.
I decidedly tried to stay away commenting from these pieces of news regarding KHJ, simply because I’m not comfortable in publicly trying a person, especially in the internet. With cases regarding legal matters, I find it most suitable to just wait for the rule of law to take its course as media frenzy and sensationalism mostly obfuscates the truth, in my opinion. This can be seen not only in celebrity legal matters but more so on more controversial and downright ‘deadlier’ ones around the world. But since the consesus seems to imply that these cases are not as openly reported and given its proper attention then perhaps I’m comparing apples to oranges? Still, I stand by that principle.
Now that KHJ has delivered his public apology, I’m more curious than ever if A will actually drop the charges–something I didn’t know was even being considered before. If it were to be the case, then this woman is truly of a noble character, in my opinion. Rarely do I hear anyone dropping lawsuits on the preface of only wanting ever an apology, especially when big names and big monies are concerned. I salute this woman if she ever did sue out of sincerity alone–not that accepting the money would diminish any of it.
What is up with Koreans and apologies. If someone beats you and all it takes to forget about it is an apology, then maybe you should not have bothered.
“Ok, I am going to beat you to a pulp, but I promise to say sorry after.”
” Well since you put it that way, go ahead then. take a whack at my face”
I actually have never watched any of his movies and only saw him in an interview. I think it was on Sketchbook.
But I couldn’t resist from commenting on this story today.
Despite his apology, I hope he will seek help. I do hope he apologized to A in person first, but did it even come from his own intention? Or was he just obliged to do so, so that A would drop her charges? Even if he sincerely apologized, he needs to seek an anger management treatment, so that this will not re-occur ever again.
This sounds like a full admission of guilt..does anyone have any excuses for him now? And it seems like he just wanted to be freed from the charges..the thing is that even if she goes through with them he won’t really get what he deserves since he’s a celeb with power…he will probably get off of with a slap o. the wrist and enlist as soon as everything’s setlled..I can only hope that
@D, unfortunately there are still so many of his fangirls who are practicing victim blaming. I’ve seen were they’ve said it’s okay oppa we know she provoked you and my all time favorite, how dare she report him, she just wants to ruin his career because he dumped her. I find that forgiveness can be a wonderful thing since we’re all human but blindness to wrong is just unacceptable.
[Stupid phone, cut me off] I can only hope he gets some help and no one gets hurt again…as for his career, I didn’t think it had much longevity to begin with since he’s not the most talented actor and he had not had any real hits since BOF..he’s still.more of an idol to me and I figured he probably would remain so for many more years but now I think even that would be difficult..but there’s no saying what may happen
Personally, I don’t think she should withdraw the legal suit against him. As a human being in a relationship, whether you’re a man or a woman, physical violence is never acceptable. Regardless of if that person is a public figure, they should accept the consequences of their actions and undergo a punishment to take accountability for them. Apologizing in person or public is one step but that shouldn’t be the end of it. Words are easy enough to say but actually meaning it and repenting is something different.
This is coming from someone whose first “bias” was Kim Hyun Joong but after seeing that what he did to that girl is actually the truth of him, I don’t believe he should be allowed to just issue an apology and go ahead with his career. I can’t blame his fangirls and admirers for supporting him when it was still speculation but I wish they’d consider the fact that he did admit to abusing a woman who he called his girlfriend.
This is soo little too late for me, but It is Miss A’s decision what to do with it. As long as she can move on and heal, that is all that matters. It irks me KeyWest has the audacity to see itself having a right so say decisions for her party, still.
from A’s lawyer statement, it feels that he did not apologize her in person.
Apologies are your ‘get out of jail’ cards, apparently. I would like to see the judicial process take its course. I certainly see KHJ in a different light.
1. The fact that KHJ admitted to have had a relationship with “A” for 2 years indicates that “A” has a lot of proof to dismiss Keyeast previous statement of “recently dating” or that “A” had requested to be included in his apology letter a clarification of his lie.
2. What’s up with self reflect statement? it probably means a one year quiet vacation in Bahamas?!! The real apology should sounds like this “I will learn from my mistake and seek professional help so no one else will be physically and mentally hurt by my anger.” Then, I will accept his apology as being sincere.
3. Ryu Si Won got a slap on his hand for stalking and hitting his wife, a mere $7,000 in fine. Seriously..smh. I can understand if “A” would want to drop the case.
4. Can someone explain to me why physically assaulting someone weaker than you is not a criminal act? I mean if I hit someone at a bar, you bet I’ll wind up in jail. but why KHJ got a free pass?
IMHO, He didn’t confess sincerely. His wording was vague and done online. I agree that he should have to call a press conference and admit, line by line, his guilt. Then, he needs to get help for his violent tendencies as well as donate to women’s shelters and abuse victims. Until he admits publicly, in person, “I am sorry. I am sorry that I hit you. I am sorry I sent you to the hospital. I am sorry I cheated on you. I am sorry I called you liar to the press. I am sorry for the things my fans said because of my lies. Please forgive me.” then I don’t believe “A” should drop the lawsuit. Stay strong “A”, you deserve more.
While in the short run, his tour will go on (except Beijing) and he will keep performing on stages all over the world, but, his near future?
1. How does a variety show host deal with him? How could anyone have fun joking with him on any of the popular ones? He will be like the dark cloud of gloom every time his name gets mentioned.
2. What kind of romantic lead can he play? If the script calls for anger at a girlfriend, or anyone for that matter, how can everyone not feel super awkward?
3, Does he only do bad guy/violent types now? Is he the bad gangster who never learns and gets killed in the end?
I don’t know how short a memory SK has for its fallen starts; it seems like they will not forget this matter soon. Good luck, KHJ with your career rebuild, but I have to hope we don’t see you for a loooooooong time.
I’m distracted by his fingernails…
It was the same for me ! One of them is all black too.
Too little too late!
He waited way too long to come clean and apologize about it. And a lame text post? Something that could have been written by any random person in his name?
I thought he’d at least call a press conference, show up and make a public apology. Maybe even cry and ask for forgiveness.
I guess beating a woman is no biggie compared to doing drugs. What a messed up society.
I notice that KHJ only issued an apology after Beijing cancelled his tour in their city….
I am satisfied with this apology. It’s simple, to the point, and makes no excuses. Also it’s going to reads better in korean, so keep that in mind. She should take it, because now we all know about it, so it doesn’t need to be in other media anyways. However, I do think he should give her some monetary settlement as well.
I am not. The apology leaves room for debate. It just says that he has done something terribly wrong. I’d rather he say that everything she said is true, just so that his fangirls can get out of their delusional state. Plus, if he really wanted to repent he would have accepted the charges and not apologize after she said she would withdraw them as soon as he does. It just seems like he wanted to get out of the matter unscathed.
my heart hurt…
Too little too late like someone said above, and no, he doesn’t sound sincere at all. Apology via SNS? Little hard to believe it considering the amount of lies he told, that he took a Chuseok holiday in Peru first (!!) and the fact that he hasn’t actually admitted to multiple counts of assault like she wanted.
Well…. we know what’s gonna happen next. He will be going to military service and hoping the public will forgive and forget after his 2 years are up. That’s what most late 20s kcelebs do when they run into trouble so I see KHJ taking the same route.
If the charges are dropped then I can see a possible future for KHJ in 2017 because let’s face it people forget or choose to forget after some time. But if the charges are not dropped and he gets sentenced or even at least fined then his future is a lot murkier.
Reading all the comments on allkpop is making me stressed out abt the state of humanity.
I seriously cannot believe what some are saying. Like she’s wrong to want a apology then to call it off. So she’s just out to ruin his life or career.
Blatantly this apology shows he admits first they dated for 2 years and not x months as his agency claims, he admits that he has hurt her physically, and he admits it is his fault.
What is so hard for the fan girls to comprehend?
She can ask whatever she wants, a sincere public apology is laughable? Count ur lucky stars she’s willing to take just that. Because maybe she just wants a dignified apology from someone who has hurt her, public or not.
If she ask for money, she’s materialistic and out to make cash from oppa.
If she goes for the throat and ask for him to be jailed, she’s vile and revengeful
In every way you have something to say
But get this: he HURT her. What she wants is between them. Get it in ur head, your oppa use his hands to hit and cause those injuries ( or even his foot for that matter), that’s the level and dept of his character. No man should hit his gf no matter how provoked. Don’t give me shit about its a mutual fight. Her injuries look dire and he was singing and dancing on stage per normal. In any case if there was just one little bit of lies in her accusations eg the pictures were fake, his agency would have jumped on it instead of stating blatant lies like how long they dates or fooling around (and fracture a rib? Goodness)
You can forgive ur idol but do not distort facts
His apology even stated she is not to blame, listen to oppa for once!
In any case if you ask me, they might have started settlement out of court, of course she’s going to be compensated (don’t give me shit that why should she take money, why not? For the abuse and for her injury medical bills whatever it’s her right and YOU do not judge because you are not the one that was hurt!) and this public apology is probably her terms to him that I will call it off only after all this when u admit to all in public and apologize so that she can not be called a victim of opportunity in the future. That he takes responsibility for his actions
Get it?
And of course he can’t state how many freaking times he hit her or whether he did fracture her rib or etc etc in the public apology just in case these statements legally becomes admission of guilt should she continue to want to press charges.
But does that mean he didn’t?
OF COURSE NOT!
Hear,Hear! well said @Stardust. If anyone of those fangirls ever got abused by their partner, would they not want that person to be accountable for their suffering! Would they not want a sincere apology! I’m sure that they would and probably seek the law to ensure that person is punished.
Liking an idol or actor is everyone’s given right, but being ignorant of facts about their idol’s abusive ways and laying the blame at the victims feet,is sooo wrong, it’s like burying your head in the sand and being in denial, they should be ashamed of themselves.
Miss A can decide what she wants to do after this apology, nobody should criticize her choice as its personal.
Such a contrast to Kai Ko…… do marijuana and immediately apologise, take responsibility and suspend your career vs hit your girlfriend and behave like she’s a lying jilted girl and lie that it “only” happened once while “fooling around”. Good for Miss A that she refused to give up, she’s brave for not only coming forward but calling bullshit on Kim Hyun Joong’s media play.
I might have believed this bastard was truly contrite if he had apologised a month ago, done it sincerely and not dodged the investigation for so long.
Kai Ko got caught red handed and was thrown in jail. Of course he has to apologize publicly after releasing from jail.
I wish key east wld abandon him & all advertisers sue him. After military i hope he gets deported to jobs in china only. No offence to china as i’m chinese descent myself but it wld be punishment if korean media denies him. Oops i sound like a witch.
Joy you do sound like a witch. Now that He is available at least he is not gay, I can introduce him to my niece who is a Lawyer here in California. Get his US citizenship and forget about serving the 2 yrs. military in SK since they don’t appreciate him anyway. It took him a longtime to give his apology which could also means that he is not guilty but was force to. He just wants to end it so everyone can move on.
Wow. Just wow.
He’s guilty alright, he’s already admitted it to the police. He took a long time “refining” (word used by his own lawyers) his apology to put himself in a better light. That’s why it’s so vague. He wants to end it so that HE can move on, the Beijing concert cancellation is a wake-up call for him and his agency, because this may start the ball rolling.
If he is not guilty and is as innocent as his fans hope, he will fight it every step of the way. He would not apologise.
OMG!!! Please we don’t need people like him in Cali. He’d be in jail if he is here. And fans are you just as disgusting like him.
If any of this is not true, he’d sue her back from the beginning.
Don’t be naive!
Go here, you can find a good psychiatrist for treatment in California. Best wishes!
psychiatrist.psychologytoday.com/rms/state/California/html
You need to see a psychiatrist because I don’t think psychologists can help, you are beyond that!
no you don’t.
Many people with brains n hearts want him to get what he deserves.
If he get away like this it’s so unfair… Looking at his concert photos I start questioning oh humanity
I’m not well versed in media matters, but I know quite a bit about the legal aspects of domestic violence cases.
First, to those who think he should apologize in person: it’s not that simple. Frequently a judge or a magistrate will order no contact between the defendant and complaining witness. It’s possible she doesn’t want to see his face.
Second, as to the apology: you can bet he did not choose what to say. His statement would have been managed by both his PR people and his lawyer. Whether he wanted to say something more sincere, or whether he wanted to say nothing, is indeed something we’ll likely never know.
Third, as to whether she should drop the charges. Some people believe she should prosecute no matter what. In my jurisdiction, a plaintiff is not allowed to “drop the charges.” He she must make themselves available as a witness for the prosecution. This is meant to keep victims from being intimidated by defendants, and to send a message to other offenders. On the other hand, going through a court case as a victim can be traumatizing in itself. If Ms A is a celebrity herself, she may wish to avoid a media circus and going through a painful process of testifying and potentially having this played out for weeks in the media. She may be one of those unfortunate people with a victim mentality who wants to drop charges because she still cares about him. Again, we’ll likely never know.
Finally, as to whether he should go to jail, how he should be held accountable, etc.: studies show that perpetrators of domestic violence can and often do reform through a willingness to receive anger management treatment and/or therapy. And most perpetrators are also childhood recipients of family violence, or childhood witnesses to family violence. This is not meant to excuse his behavior, but to make the point that the difference between perpetrator and victim is often one of context and not just character. He may be a monster who has done this before and will do it again. He may not be.
If he doesn’t learn from this and allows himself to replicate these violent episodes again, that’s a huge shame. If he sincerely reflects and rehabilitates, good on him. Time will tell.
Please excuse typos. I’m on my phone.
Thank you but….Are you talking about US or Korea legal system? I think Korea is different. Besides, the case is still at the initial stage (police), it does not even reach the prosecutors’ table yet so it is not hard to drop charges now as he has not been formally charged. And I think this is the reason why KHJ & his legal team are “in a hurry” to make apology so the case will drop ASAP.
Definitely the US system.
Although KHJ’s apology stated that he was “entirely” to blame for the violence and injury caused his ex-girlfriend, “A” did anyone even consider that she contributed to this in someway? Like pushing his wrong buttons? Maybe she even had ulterior motives fromthe beginning or exiting this relationship as she no longer could have his love and attention.
Although I don’t condone domestic violence or any kind of abuse, even verbally, it usually takes two to have it escalate to that point, unless drugs and alcohol was involved. Maybe he wasn’t answering her phone calls, or jealousy of another woman, or even if he just wanted to breakup and she didn’t. She could have been unreasonable and in his face or refused to leave or she resorted to violence. Whatever the circumstances, he being a celebrity, both should have been more responsible in their actions and both need professional help.
Not knowing the entire circumstance and truth, I don’t want to stand in judgement like most people and stand only against KHJ.
Maybe I watch too many Korean dramas but have you noticed that Korean women seem to be a lot more calculating, materialistic and money oriented than women from other Asian cultures.
I as a female in love or once in love with him would have handled it outside the media.
I never heard of anti-fans clubs, like there are in Korea, who make it their personal business to spread, many times, unfounded rumors out of jealousy and destroy celebrities, especially Kpop idols. No wonder they are afraid to date while they are trying to build their singing or acting careers. Yes, fans is the force that make them popular but who are they to dictate a celebrity’s personal life and whether they date or not. You’d think these fans actually believe they will date or marry one of these celebs. Hey, anti-fans, if you have that much time on your hands, be a watch guard for a worthy cause like the pollution of our environment that’s affecting your brain.
Listen, even if he was wrong to hit her, we only heard her side as a victim. But did anyone think that he is a victim, too? She’ll probably get a nice lump sum settlement as an apology, that’s not publicized because of his mistake and guilt. On her part, one can view that as restitution settlement…….or even extortion money!
^^ We don’t have to worry about that because KHJ & KeyEast certainly have a team of lawyers working on the case. If they feel it is his best interests to apologize so as A will forgive him & drop charges, we can rest assure they have valid legality reasons to do so.
To Angela,
You probably need to see a shrink. All I am saying this Miss A is a very calculative woman who knows the law in South Korea. She was able to manipulate the news media ( Dispatch ), manipulate the bloggers and the commentors. For 2 years, she was able to get close to KHJ and finally get to date him. She could have provoke him to the point that they were physically fighting. Where can you date a man for 2 months and can get a possible settlement of US$500,000 ( This coming from KHJ’s friend twitter.) She threatened to ruin him if he brakes off with her. She is laughing her way to the bank now and everyone here is an accomplice who help her get away with it.
You are not very imaginative…what you wrote is a boring korean drama from the 90’…
Did you read the news today? KHJ ex-GF forgave him, drop the lawsuit with NO settlement/money involved.
She is a very nice person.