South Korean actor Kim Hyun-joong (김현중) debuted in 2005 with the boy group SS501 and later rose to pan-Asian stardom for his role as Yoon Ji-hoo in the hit K-drama Boys Over Flowers. However, his career was significantly impacted in 2014 when he became embroiled in a domestic violence and forced abortion controversy with his ex-girlfriend. The ensuing years-long legal battle kept his private life under intense public scrutiny. Now, Kim Hyun-joong's former girlfriend is reportedly relaunching her career, having signed with an agency and entered the live streaming world under the stage name SeeU (시유), a move that has reignited public discussion.
In a recent live stream, SeeU shared updates about their son, revealing that he not only excels academically but also frequently serves as a class officer, recently becoming the student council president. She couldn't help but proudly share his achievements, expressing immense pride. SeeU mentioned that she has been overwhelmed with messages about her son lately, so busy that she barely has time to eat, and every morning is spent preparing him for school.
Speaking about her son's accomplishments, SeeU laughed and said, "Since everyone is asking, I can only brag a little. He's really growing up well. He's always the class president or vice president, his grades are excellent, he's very smart, handsome, and popular." Her comments quickly shifted public attention to the child's development.
Looking back at their past, SeeU and Kim Hyun-joong began dating in 2012, with their relationship lasting approximately three years. After their breakup, the two engaged in multiple lawsuits concerning domestic violence and damages, with the legal disputes continuing for many years. SeeU gave birth to a son in September 2015, and a paternity test confirmed Kim Hyun-joong as the child's biological father.
Regarding their damages lawsuit, the Supreme Court of Korea upheld the original ruling in 2020, ordering SeeU to pay Kim Hyun-joong 100 million Korean won in compensation. This long-running legal battle has remained one of the most unavoidable controversies in Kim Hyun-joong's career.
Recalling the domestic violence incident, Kim Hyun-joong previously stated that he was found guilty of violent behavior for pushing his ex-girlfriend, ultimately resulting in a 5 million Korean won fine. He admitted that he had not anticipated the situation would escalate and become such a prolonged controversy.
Regarding the years of legal disputes, Kim Hyun-joong also mentioned that all related matters were handled by his lawyers, and the process from the incident's occurrence to his acquittal took a considerable amount of time. He believes that since the matter is in the past, he no longer dwells on the gains or losses and has few complaints.
Beyond his past controversy with his ex-girlfriend, Kim Hyun-joong faced further criticism in 2017 due to a drunk driving incident, further challenging his public image. In 2022, he married his non-celebrity girlfriend and welcomed a son the same year, gradually shifting his life focus towards his family.
In recent years, Kim Hyun-joong has primarily focused on overseas entertainment activities, including a nine-country South American tour, and participated in a Korean-Japanese co-produced drama in 2024. Now, with his ex-girlfriend SeeU relaunching as a live streamer and publicly sharing the joyful news of their son becoming student council president, their past history has once again drawn attention.
