Kim Seon-ho makes tearful apology in first public appearance since abortion controversy
"I am sincerely sorry for causing concerns to many people."
Those were Kim Seon Ho's words while shedding tears on stage during the press conference of his upcoming play 'Touching the Void.'
The briefing, held at the Daehak-ro Art One Theater in Seoul on July 20, marks Seon-ho's first public appearance since his abortion scandal broke the internet in October 2021.
According to SBS News, Seon-ho went up the stage alone before the event's Q&A session and read a handwritten letter reflecting the actor's regret for his past actions.
He began, "I wrote everything down because I thought I would be too nervous to say anything properly. Please understand with a broken heart."
"I'm so sorry to stand in front of you like this before today's event. Many people put efforts on this play from spring to summer of this year," he said. "I'm sorry for the team because I feel like I'm bringing concerts to everyone."
With tears in his eyes, the actor continued, "I'm sincerely sorry for causing concerns to many people. Looking back on my life, I reflected on my wrongdoings. I will try to become a better actor as well as a better person in the future."
Seon-ho's statement comes nine months after his reported ex-girlfriend wrote an anonymous post on Korean online community Nate Pann, stating that the actor emotionally abused her and forced her to terminate her pregnancy as a "sacrifice" for his booming career.
Hours after she released her October 18 post, Seon-ho's rumored ex-girlfriend made a follow-up post mellowing out her allegations against the Start-Up and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha star.
"I received an apology from him, and it seems like there were some misunderstanding between us," she said, noting that she was sorry for "having unintentionally hurt many people" and causing "unintentional damage" to them.
Seon-ho, for his part, penned a heartfelt message on Instagram wherein he apologized to his fans for putting them "through difficult times" because of his "shortcomings" in May this year.
Seon-ho's participation in Touching the Void would be his official comeback after reportedly turning down several projects following his controversy.
The play is based on mountaineer Joe Simpson's book of the same name, which chronicles his and Simon Yates' experience descending the Siula Grande mountain range.
Seon-ho will perform the role of Simpson alternately with Shin Sung-min and Lee Hwi-jong. The play will run until September 18.