This is crazier than Mukodono, Last Scandal, and Oh My Lady. Combined.

[dangermousie]

boginje just linked me to this article and I have to basically copy-paste it in all its glorious entirety.

It's completely completely insane.

Short version: a popular Korean singer recently "came out" to his fans and revealed the shocking, horrible truth!

Did he kill someone? Is he a drug-addict? Is he gay? (disclaimer: I am not equating being gay with various bad things but in conservative Korea it would probably be a career-killer). Did he dodge the draft or party with underage hookers?

Noooooooo. Much much worse.

The man has committed the unpardonable sin of being secretly married and having a four-year-old son from the marriage!

Utterly shameless. How could he?

Ahhh, Korea.



http://www.allkpop.com/2009/07/vos_leader_park_jihun_a_father_and_husband

Talented vocal group V.O.S, Voice of Souls', leader, Park Jihun, recently revealed that he is the father of a four year old child and has a wife whom he has loved for the past 17 years. On the 9th, Park Jihun revealed to the press the reason why he couldn't reveal the truth and talked about the love story with his wife, Seo Myungsun, and about himself being a father.

Park Jihun met his wife during the third year of middle school and started off as pen pals. Their parents did oppose of them once but after receiving the blessing of both families, the two had a normal plan to get married but because of Park Jihun's debut to be a singer, the wedding had to be postponed.

During October of 2005, after finding out about his wife's pregnancy, the elders wished for the family to stay together and got them a single room home in Hapjungdong, Seoul. Park Jihun's mother who lived in Daejun didn't wish for this event to affect his career so she came to live with the family and took care of the wife.

During June of 2006, the family welcomed a new born son into the family and named his son Bitchan, holding the meaning of 'Shine Brilliantly.' But during this time, Park Jihun was busy doing activities and afraid that his company and V.O.S might become a target, therefore he had to hide the truth.

Because of her husband's busy schedule, Seo Myungsun had to be an unwedded mother. Other than having to sign a marriage registration, the two had to sign son Bitchan's birth report before passing Myungsun's entry into the family. The child who recently turned four started attending a playschool since June. At the school there was an event where parents were to attend but because Myungsun was labeled an unmarried mother, he could not participate at the event.

"I couldn't easily confess the truth due to my career as a singer and the fact someone could target my company and group. But as Bitchan's father, I wanted to be supporting husband. I met a new company who warmly embraced me when I revealed my story. They blessed my scared heart and gave me confidence. That is the reason why I am strongly revealing the truth.

I want to reveal the truth to Bitchan's friends that he indeed does have a father and I want to dress the woman who has waited for me for so long in a wedding dress so I could stop sinning."

Wow, I would like to give a late congratulation to Park Jihun for his son and I can't help but to respect him even more for revealing such a huge truth and for having such a great heart as a husband and father.

Well this heart-warming news aside, Park Jihun is planning on holding his wedding towards the end of the year and in August, he will be welcoming in his second child. So congratulations to Park Jihun and be happy!

Dangermousie's comments: (1) His wife must be beyond saintly to put up with this, and (2) good luck to him, and (3) I am never ever going to view any of these kdrama plots as impossible any more.

Comments

[boginje.livejournal.com]

BTW, VOS is doing OK after the scandal-they released an an OST album(for Creating Destiny) and a greatest hits album. They did some concerts in Japan, too. They are one of the luckiest boybands around- their fans are SANE!!!!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Seeing that some other bands have fans who hounded a random fangirl to death because she got a hug from their idol - yeah.

[katranna.livejournal.com]

Link?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

http://popseoul.com/2007/06/07/suju-fans-are-killers/

There are a bunch more on the net. The girl clearly had other things going on too (but don't most victims of bullying who kill themselves) but still. Yikes.

I am not familiar with kpop but I do remember this group's fans. This is a boyband with 13 (!!!!) members and the reason I first came across them was stuff on their fangirls setting a cordon around the management building because they added 2 new members (would anyone notice? :)) and trying to buy out the company. They are kinda insane.

ETA: Cyber harassment is pretty common in Korea. Actually, a huge star, Choi Jin Shil, killed herself because of it couple of years ago and her attacker only got a few months in jail.

[scanky-chops.livejournal.com]

This is why i'm glad i'm a Johnnys senpai fan - if any of them came out and said they were married for x number of years with a kid i'd be jumping for joy for them.

Also, the whole no-girlfriend thing is so hilariously weird 'cos if that's the case then why is Kimura still one of the biggest names in the fandom?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I really don't get Asian pop stuff sometimes. Really.

[orangebreeze.livejournal.com]

Wow, he has such a good wife, I'd say. She must love him so very much.
Shouldn't fans be happy about this? Korean fans are indeed a weird bunch (Not all of them, of course, I wouldn't want to make generalisations.)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

boginje said that the fans got over it and the group is doing fine. But the very fact that this is a possible issue is insane to me.

As to his wife, I don't care how famous/rich/hot he is - I don't think I could have put up with this for that long. Furniture would have been thrown :)

[boginje.livejournal.com]

It took (large majority of)their fans a couple of hours to get over it. It took their former (current) agency a couple of months to get over it(to get over the fact that he came out without their permission). LOL

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

So crazy.

[boginje.livejournal.com]

The whole point of the Kimitaku scandal and why everyone is still supporting him is : He got married to an ex-idol singer. If he married an ordinary person he would have suffered major consequences (SMAP fans are really weird).
V6`s Innochi is married ,too (no problem there as well).
BTW Some City Hall fans are insane: they would like Cha Seung Won and Kim Sun Ah to be an item in real life?!
Cha Seung Won got married 22 years ago and has a 21 year old son and a 15 year old(i don`t know exactly but she is probably around 15)daughter!!!!!!!!!!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I saw the SSW/KSA rpshippers and they are kinda freaky. I mean, I find rpshipping weird to start with, but when one of the parties has been married for decades? Yeah.

Some rpshipper of theirs commented somewhere that she wasn't going to watch an upcoming movie of CSW's because he kisses a woman other than KSA. That's definitely crazy.

[vert-gazon.livejournal.com]

"At the school there was an event where parents were to attend but because Myungsun was labeled an unmarried mother, he could not participate at the event."

This part made me mad. Wtf.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Now that I think about it, his wife is even cooler/stronger than I thought at first because apparently there is a HUGE stigma to being an unwed mother - most of them abort their kids, and the rest are encouraged to give the kids for adoption. And if they keep them, they are very looked-down on. So I bet she got a LOT of attitude from people because of that. And she still kept her mouth shut.

[hollyxu.livejournal.com]

Why is it so weird that singers/idol celebs marry and have children? I mean, Jang Hyuk's doing fine.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think it's more of a kiss of death for idols or popband members than actors. But still, it's freakishly rare even for actors to get married - let's see - Jang Hyuk, Kwon Sang Woo, Choi Seung Won, Song Il Gook, Lee Seung Geun, probably Jang Dong Gun soon. But I can't think of anyone else.

[boginje.livejournal.com]

Forgot to mention: there is ONE guy who CAME OUT OF THE CLOSET. Read what happened:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Seok-cheon
http://www.hancinema.net/korean_Hong_Seok-cheon.php?nopage[1]=1#news

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

He got fired for being gay? Ugh.

[ifruity.livejournal.com]

Oh, I remember this! He's pretty brave to marry secretly. Companies usually bar their artists from dating anyone, even other celebs. One company even put it in a contract for one of their artists that she couldn't date for 10 years. Companies always get into trouble with their contracts.

If this were a k-drama plot, my heart would break for Myungsun.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

One company even put it in a contract for one of their artists that she couldn't date for 10 years.

How could that even be enforceable? Insane.

If this were a k-drama plot, my heart would break for Myungsun.

Well, like in a kdrama, she got her happy ending at last so yay!

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

I just don't get Asia's entertainment industry and how the actors, musicians, idols etc put up with this crazy shit. When your management makes you sign a contract that says you can't openly date or get married to whoever and you have to hide your wife/girlfriend/kids because your fans might crucify you that's just so many kinds of screwed up. Ugh.

I'm glad that the guy and his family and band are doing fine though.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that the guy and his family and band are doing fine though.

I was pleasantly surprised. The wife must have really loved him to put up with all that and the poor little kid!

I don't get the whole 'no significant others ever' rule. I'd rather have the grown up idol/actor/star married or dating than be always celibate and wonder if he is doing something really bizarre in secret. Because while asexuality exists, I severely doubt that it's as rampant as it would have to be for all the idols/actors/musicians in Asia to be afflicted with it.

[village.livejournal.com]

I'd rather have the grown up idol/actor/star married or dating than be always celibate and wonder if he is doing something really bizarre in secret.

I'm with you on that. I'd actually like to know that they do date people now and again. I mean, I understand why pop stars like to keep their relationships underwraps but to actually have a rule against dating? It just seems beyond unreasonable. As for what they do in their own time, with each other, on cold, lonely nights... *cough* Well, who knows. Heh.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

for what they do in their own time, with each other, on cold, lonely nights... *cough* Well, who knows. Heh.

Ahahahahahaha.

I think it's because fanbase for these guys/gals is so young and has unrealistic fantasies that guy/gal of their dreams will magically fall for them. I should hope that once you are older, you know better that married or single, straight or gay, chances of your fave celebrity sweeping you off your feet are nil.

[village.livejournal.com]

I get that - I was twelve once. :D But to actually make a star feel like his career and the people in his life could be harmed by the fact that he's dating or married to someone is ridiculous even for pop fandom. The Asian pop fandom just seems so over the top.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The Asian pop fandom just seems so over the top.


Well, they do write letters to their idols in blood...

[village.livejournal.com]

...I don't even want to know.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Some in wrist blood, some in period blood.

I am not making this up.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

It's just sad that ppl have to hide like this. I mean it doesn't change who he is, the fact he's married. He can still be hot, talented, good singer/dancer, whatever. But I guess the fans are like that - possessive, young fangirls.

Good lord.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think the age is the problem - the fans are so young they have unrealistic expectations and the management feeds them.

[village.livejournal.com]

Wtf? Kpop IS INSANE. The industry, the fandom, everyone involved = insane. Hee. Seriously though, how is this even acceptable. People will target his company and his group because he's married? Seriously? WTF? His wife is beyond saintly. I don't even know what else to say.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

His wife is beyond saintly.

She must have finally locked him out of the house as to make him confess :P

[homocoucho.livejournal.com]

Oh geez, hearing about stuff like this can be very frustrating. I really wish possessive fans would learn how to separate the idol from the man.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Seriously, do they really expect to meet and marry their idol? Don't they know they'd be killed by all the other fangirls?

[elizabennet69.livejournal.com]

She must be a very strong woman and he must love her very much - I assume he supported her during the hardships she has gone through and evidently she is sure of his love not to give up or cause a scene. But I'm most happy for the little kid. Now he'll be able to attend all the functions etc.

P.S: If a school wouldn't let a kid join a function because he has a single mother I would take my kid from that school.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know - what kind of school does that? Ugh.

[timescout.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I read about this a while back and their fans seem to have taken it quite well. I love V.O.S actually, got 2 of their albums and will be getting the Greatest Hits one soon too. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I read about this a while back and their fans seem to have taken it quite well.

Good thing he wasn't in Super Junior :)