Kim Soo-hyun's father receives criticism after tying the knot with new wife
Kim Chung-hoon, the father of Queen of Tears actor Kim Soo-hyun, has tied the knot with his longtime partner in a private home ceremony. However, the actor was nowhere in sight.
In a report by Korean news outlet The Fact carried by Koreaboo, Chung-hoon, who is known as the lead vocalist of the 1980s rock band Seven Dolphins, exchanged vows with his wife Ahn on April 13 in Gangnam in Seoul. The pair have actually already been married for a while, but they never celebrated with an official ceremony until now.
allkpop detailed that the event was hosted by Jo Young-gu and was attended by Chung-hoon's close singer friends, such as veteran trot singer Kim Bum-ryong, who sang the congratulatory song.
According to reports, Chung-hoon told the guests that he was "grateful for An who stayed by [his] side even when [he] was [a] nobody" and that he "had always wanted to put a bridal veil on An, even if belated."
He also wanted to keep the wedding small and private as he didn't want to "cause trouble" to his son, Soo-hyun, who did not show up to the event.
Following the news, many of the actor's fans hurled criticisms against his father for "using his son’s name for publicity yet again."
"The father actually appears on TV quite often these days and every single time, he sells himself as Kim Soo Hyun’s dad," one fan wrote in the Korean online forum site theqoo, as translated by Koreaboo.
"This father-man wanted a small and private wedding, so he called the press and let them know about the fact that Kim Soo Hyun wasn’t there? Tried to make it seem like he’s the one who didn’t want Kim Soo Hyun there? Hilarious. But not really," another added.
The criticisms come years after Soo-hyun's half-sister Kim Joo-na was similarly accused of using the actor's name for "noise marketing" back when she was promoting her original soundtrack album for the K-drama High Society, according to a report by Soompi.
However, representatives from her team denied this, saying "Kim Joo Na has not formally made her debut yet. There was absolutely no intention of promoting her [with the news of being Kim Soo Hyun’s half-sister], nor did we try to hide it. There is a lot of pressure on her because it has unexpectedly become an issue. Kim Joo Na is currently in shock."
As of writing Soo-hyun nor his agency have yet to release a statement regarding the issue.
Apart from Queen of Tears, the Korean star is also known for his K-dramas, My Love from the Star and It's Okay to Not Be Okay.