Kim Hyun-joong (; born June 6, 1986) is a South Korean actor, singer and songwriter.
He is a member of the
boy band SS501
SS501 is a South Korean boy band consisting of five members: Kim Hyun-joong, Heo Young-saeng, Kim Kyu-jong, Park Jung-min and Kim Hyung-jun. They debuted in 2005 with the EP ''Warning'', which included their first number one song, "Never A ...
and played roles in the
Korean drama
Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea.
They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...
s ''
Boys Over Flowers'' and ''
Playful Kiss
''Playful Kiss'' (; (also known as ''Mischievous Kiss'' or ''Naughty Kiss'') is a 2010 South Korean romantic-comedy television series, starring Jung So-min and Kim Hyun-joong. It aired on MBC from September 1 to October 21, 2010 on Wednesdays ...
''.
After debuting with SS501 in 2005, Kim released his first Korean solo album, ''
Break Down'', in 2011, and his first Japanese solo album, ''
Unlimited,'' in 2012. Due to his commercial success, Kim is considered one of South Korea's biggest
Hallyu stars of the early 2010s.
Early life and education
Kim Hyun-joong was born on June 6, 1986 in Seoul.
He described himself as a studious child,
but he dropped out of high school to pursue a career in music. He later passed his high school exams and enrolled in
Kyonggi University
Kyonggi University (KGU; ) is an accredited, private higher education institution, established in 1947. KGU has over 17,000 students in majors in undergraduate and graduate programs on two campuses. The main campus is in Suwon, located 30 miles f ...
. After dropping out of university to focus on work, Kim enrolled in
Chungwoon University
Chungwoon University is a private university in western South Korea. The campus is located in Hongseong County in South Chungcheong province. The current president is Kim Hui-jung (김희중).
Academics
Undergraduate offerings are divided amon ...
in 2011 to study stage production management.
Career
2005–2008: Career beginnings
![Kim Hyun-joong](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Kim_Hyun-joong.jpg)
Kim made his debut as a member of
SS501
SS501 is a South Korean boy band consisting of five members: Kim Hyun-joong, Heo Young-saeng, Kim Kyu-jong, Park Jung-min and Kim Hyung-jun. They debuted in 2005 with the EP ''Warning'', which included their first number one song, "Never A ...
on June 23, 2005, with the group's first EP, ''Warning'', released by
DSP Media
DSP Media (Hangul: DSP 미디어) is a South Korean entertainment company established in 1991 by Lee Ho-yeon. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and ...
. Their second EP, ''
Snow Prince
is a 2009 Japanese film. This film is adapted from the 1872 novel '' A Dog of Flanders'' and is inspired by the 1971 film '' A Small Love Melody''. Directed by Joji Matsuoka and written by Kundō Koyama—the scriptwriter for the film '' Depart ...
'' was released in late 2005, five months after their debut. The group quickly gained popularity, winning multiple new artist awards in 2005 and 2006. The following year, in 2007, SS501 debuted in Japan with the single "
Kokoro
is a novel by the Japanese author Natsume Sōseki. It was first published in 1914 in serial form in the Japanese newspaper ''Asahi Shimbun''. The title translated literally means "heart". The word contains shades of meaning—notions of the he ...
," which reached number five on the
Oricon charts
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nove ...
. In January 2008, the group received a Newcomer Award at the
Japan Gold Disc Award ceremony, making them one of only a few South Korean artists to win this award.
In 2008, Kim joined the cast of the reality variety show ''
We Got Married
''We Got Married'' () was a South Korean reality variety show that aired on MBC from 2008 to 2017. The show paired up celebrities who pretended to be married couples and completed various challenges together. The show ran for four seasons and ...
,'' where he was paired with singer
Hwangbo
Hwangbo Hye-jeong ( ko, 황보혜정; born on 16 August 1980), better known as Hwangbo, is a South Korean singer and rapper. She debuted in 1999 as a rapper in the group Bros, before joining the K-pop girl group Chakra in 2000. After Chakra di ...
. Dubbed the "Lettuce Couple," the pair was popular among viewers and won the Best Couple Award at the 2008
MBC Entertainment Awards
The MBC Entertainment Awards () is a Korean awards ceremony held annually and sponsored by MBC. The awards ceremony is held at the end of each year and lasts approximately 140 minutes, being broadcast in two parts on MBC.
Hosts
History of w ...
. They left the show at the end of 2008 to focus on other projects.
2008–2010: Career breakthrough and success
In 2008, Kim was cast in his first lead-acting role in the
Korean drama
Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea.
They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...
''
Boys Over Flowers.''
The show was extremely popular in South Korea and other Asian countries, and Kim won the Most Popular Actor Award at the 2009 ''
Seoul International Drama Awards
Seoul International Drama Awards (), simply known as SDA, is an annual award ceremony based in Seoul, South Korea which honors excellence in television drama productions worldwide.
Winners
Grand prize (''Daesang'')
Program
Winners are given ...
'' and the Most Popular Actor for Television Award at the 2009 ''
Baeksang Arts Awards
The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were first introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the Hankook Ilbo newspap ...
''.
Kim and his ''Boys Over Flowers'' costars also sparked a trend among South Korean men who copied their "flower boy" style.
Tony Moly
Tony Moly (Hangul: 토니모리) is a South Korean cosmetics brand.
Tony Moly was established in 2006 with the support of Tae Sung Industry. The name Tony Moly means "putting style into packaging".
History
In July 2006, Tony Moly Cosmetics w ...
, a cosmetics brand for which Kim had been a
spokesmodel
A promotional model is a model hired to drive consumer demand for a product, service, brand, or concept by directly interacting with potential customers. Most promotional models are conventionally attractive in physical appearance. They serve to m ...
since 2006, saw a 30 percent sales increase in 2009, which the company attributed to the popularity of the show. Kim's contract with Tony Moly ended in 2010, and he became the spokesmodel for another cosmetics brand,
The Face Shop
The Face Shop () (stylized as THE FACE SHOP) is a South Korea-based skincare and cosmetics manufacturer, retailer and a franchise business. It is a subsidiary of LG Household & Health Care of LG Corporation. Its products includes body, bath, sk ...
, later that year.
Following the success of ''Boys Over Flowers,'' Kim played his second lead role in a drama, in 2010's ''
Playful Kiss
''Playful Kiss'' (; (also known as ''Mischievous Kiss'' or ''Naughty Kiss'') is a 2010 South Korean romantic-comedy television series, starring Jung So-min and Kim Hyun-joong. It aired on MBC from September 1 to October 21, 2010 on Wednesdays ...
'', a Korean adaptation of the Japanese
shōjo manga
is an editorial category of Japanese comics targeting an audience of adolescent females and young adult women. It is, along with manga (targeting adolescent boys), manga (targeting young adult and adult men), and manga (targeting adul ...
, ''
Itazura na Kiss
is a Japanese '' shōjo'' manga series written and illustrated by Kaoru Tada. ''Itazura na Kiss'' was first serialized and published in 1990 by Shueisha through ''Bessatsu Margaret'' magazine. It became successful very quickly and beca ...
''.
The show flopped on South Korean television, but was an international hit on foreign television and on online streaming platforms, helping solidify Kim's popularity as a
Hallyu star.
At the end of 2010, Kim was chosen to represent South Korea at the opening of the
2010 Asian Games in
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
, where he performed the anthem "Sunshine Again" with singers from Chinese-speaking countries.
2011: Solo debut, chart success and first Japanese tour
![Kim Hyun-joong in 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Kim_Hyun-joong_in_2011.png)
Kim released his solo debut, the EP ''
Break Down,'' on June 7, 2011.
More than 70,000 pre-ordered copies of the album were sold in just 10 days. The EP was the ninth best-selling album of 2011 on South Korea's
Gaon Album Chart,
and was certified platinum in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. Later that year, Kim released his second album ''
Lucky''. The EP debuted at number five on ''
Billboard's'' World Chart, and was the 10th best-selling album of the year in South Korea with over 100,000 copies sold.
Following up on the success of a concert he performed in Japan in June, Kim signed a deal with
Universal Music Japan
, often referred to as just Universal Music Japan or UMJ, is a Japanese subsidiary of the Universal Music Group founded in 1990. It is the largest subsidiary for a foreign company in the country regarding music distribution. The company is resp ...
in November. Shortly after that, he went on a tour of Japan, performing in seven cities.
["Kim Hyun-joong Inks Deal with Universal Japan"](_blank)
''The Chosun Ilbo''. November 11, 2011.
At the end of the year, Kim won the award for
Best Male Artist at the
2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards
The 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards took place on November 29, 2011, at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The ceremony was the second Mnet Asian Music Awards to occur outside of South Korea, the first being in 2010 when the ceremony took place ...
held in Singapore. On December 15, Kim released a digital single titled "Marry Me".
2012: Japanese debut and overseas promotions
On January 25, 2012, Kim released his first Japanese single album, "
Kiss Kiss / Lucky Guy
''KISS KISS / Lucky Guy'' is Kim Hyun-joong's first Japanese single. It mostly consists of Japanese versions of previously released Korean songs from his mini albums '' Break Down'' and '' Lucky''. The only original Japanese song is "Hohoemi No Ch ...
," which was certified gold in Japan. In May, his ''First Impact'' concert DVD sold 16,000 copies in its first week of release, taking the number one spot on the Oricon DVD Chart. This was the first time a South Korean artist had taken the number one spot, and a second time a foreign artist had taken the number one spot on the chart.
Kim later held his ''Kim Hyun-joong Fan Meeting Tour 2012'' for his album promotions, making stops in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and Thailand.
["Kim Hyun-joong Announces 2012 Asia Fan Meeting Tour"](_blank)
''Mwave''. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
In March 2012, Kim was appointed the honorary ambassador for United Nation's Korean Campaign on Contributions to Social Welfare.
Kim released his second Japanese single album "
Heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...
" on July 4. The album was Japan's third best-selling album in July, selling 196,850 copies, which earned Kim his second consecutive gold certification.
The following month, in August, Kim won Best Asian Artist at the 2012
Asia Song Festival.
On December 12, Kim released ''
Unlimited,'' his first full-length Japanese album, which included Japanese versions of "
Break Down" and "
Lucky Guy".
It topped the Oricon Daily Chart and reached number 3 on the Weekly Chart.
Madame Tussauds unveiled a wax figure of Kim in December.
2013–2014: ''Barefooted Friends'', Japanese concerts and ''Inspiring Generation''
On January 6, 2013, Kim kicked off a Japanese tour called ''Unlimited'' at the
World Memorial Hall
or World Hall is a multi-purpose arena located in the Chūō-ku Ward of Kobe, Japan. It has a maximum capacity of 8,000 people and is optimized for large-scale meetings, sport events, trade shows and concerts. It is located on the artificial isl ...
in
Kobe, where he performed with a live band.
["Kim Hyun-joong Starts Off On His Japan Tour"](_blank)
''Mwave''. Retrieved June 17, 2013. Later that month, he performed alongside other K-pop artists in Brazil for the ''2013 FEEL KOREA'' event, marking his first performance in South America.
On March 2, Kim performed at the ''U-Express Live 2013'' at the
Makuhari Messe
is a Japanese convention center outside Tokyo, located in the Mihama-ku ward of Chiba City, in the northwest corner of Chiba Prefecture. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, it is accessible by Tokyo's commuter rail system. ''Makuhari'' is the name of ...
in Japan with artists including
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band,
Far East Movement
Far East Movement (abbreviated FM) is an American hip hop and electronic music group based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and as of August 2018 consists of Kev Nish (Kevin Nishimura), Prohgress (James Roh), DJ Virman (Virman Coquia), ...
,
Naoto Inti Raymi
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese singer-songwriter and composer. He was born in Mie Prefecture in Japan and later grew up in Chiba Prefecture.
For two years from 2001, he used his given name Naoto as his stage name. In 2001, whil ...
and
Kara
Kara or KARA may refer to:
Geography Localities
* Kara, Chad, a sub-prefecture
* Kára, Hungary, a village
* Kara, Uttar Pradesh, India, a township
* Kara, Iran, a village in Lorestan Province
* Kara, Republic of Dagestan, a rural locality in Da ...
. That same month, Kim received the Creator's Factory Best Actor Award for the music video, "
Lucky Guy," at the 5th Okinawa Music Festival.
On April 21, he began appearing on the South Korean variety show ''
Barefooted Friends''.
Despite the show, Kim released his third Japanese single "
Tonight
Tonight may refer to:
Television
* ''Tonight'' (1957 TV programme), a 1957–1965 British current events television programme hosted by Cliff Michelmore that was broadcast on BBC
* ''Tonight'' (1975 TV programme), a 1975–1979 British current ...
" on June 5. Once again, his single topped the Oricon Daily Chart, and took the number two spot by the end of the week. The album received gold certification for selling more than one million copies. He released his third Korean EP, ''
Round 3
''Round 3'' is Kim Hyun-joong's third Korean mini-album, which was released on July 22, 2013.
Background and development
Two days after the "2013 KHJ Show - Party People" fanmeeting in Seoul, Korea, KeyEast stated that Kim would be releasing hi ...
'', on July 22.
On October 20 and 21, Kim held two concerts at the Makuhari International Exhibition Hall in Japan, attended by 20,000 fans. At the end of the month, Kim left ''Barefooted Friends'' to film a new drama. After playing pretty boys in his first two dramas, Kim played a tougher role in the drama ''
Inspiring Generation
''Inspiring Generation'' () is a 2014 South Korean television series starring Kim Hyun-joong, Im Soo-hyang and Jin Se-yeon. It aired on KBS2 from January 15 to April 3, 2014 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes.
Based on the ma ...
,'' which began airing in January 2014''.''
That July, he released his fourth Japanese single, "
Hot Sun
Hot Sun is Kim Hyun-joong's fourth Japanese single, which was released on June 18, 2014, under Delicious Deli Records and Universal Music Japan. There are six available versions of this single which has six completely different image concepts for ...
", which topped the Oricon weekly charts, making him the first foreign male solo artist to top the chart twice. At the end of June, he began a world tour that included stops in Taiwan, China, Japan, Thailand, Mexico, and Peru.
The following month, in July, Kim released his fourth Korean EP,
''Timing''.
2015–2016: Japanese activities and military enlistment
Kim released his second Japanese studio album, ''
Imademo
is Kim Hyun-joong's second Japanese full-length studio album, which was released on February 11, 2015 under Universal Music Japan and Delicious Deli. It consists of mostly Japanese versions of his Korean songs but also includes four new songs, to ...
'', on February 11, 2015. The album entered the Oricon daily charts at number two and remained at that spot for 10 days.
Kim enlisted in the army for
South Korea's mandatory military service in May 2015. After completing five weeks of basic training at Gyeonggi-do 30th Recruit Training Squadron he was stationed as a border patrol in the
Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone ( Korean: ; Hanbando Bimujang Jidae) is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in ...
. While he was in the military, ''The Best of Kim Hyun Joong'', a Japanese
greatest hits album
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
celebrating his 10 years in music industry, was released. It entered the Oricon daily charts at number one. Kim was discharged from military service in February 2017 after serving for 21 months.
2017–present: Tours and Korean-Japanese album
In July 2017, Kim released his first album since leaving the military, the Japanese single album, ''re:wind''. The album reached the number one spot on the
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in ...
album chart. Following its release, Kim went on Innercore 16-city Japanese tour.
In November, he released the EP ''Haze'', his first Korean album in three years.
Kim Hyun Joong's 2018 World Tour 'HAZE' commenced on December 2, 2017. He performed in
Bolivia,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
,
Japan,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
and
Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a p ...
and the tour concluded in 2018. On June 6, he released ''Take My Hand'', the first Album released from his own record Label
Henecia Music. On September 26, he then released an album entitled Wait For Me. From September 27 to November 5, Kim held his Take My Hand Japan Tour. Later in the year, it was confirmed he would be making his small-screen comeback in the fantasy drama ''When Time Stopped''.
The drama ran from October 24 to November 29, 2018. He released a single, "Just for My Love", as the sixth part of the original Soundtrack for the drama.
On February 4, 2019 he released a new album entitled ''New Way'' with the lead single "Why". On August 21, he released a Korean EP entitled SALT and on September 11, he released a Japanese EP entitled "THIS IS LOVE" which debuted at number one on the
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in ...
Weekly Rock Singles Chart and number two on
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in ...
year-end
Indie
Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Gaming
*Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies
*Indie game, any game (board ...
Chart. On August 21, he embarked on a World Tour titled BIO-RHYTHM which ended on January 25, 2020. The tour took place in
Japan,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
,
Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a p ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
Bolivia,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
and the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
On February 5, 2020, he released a full-length Japanese album titled The Moon, The Sun and Your Song which debuted at number three on the
Oricon Daily Albums Chart and Number 4 on the
Oricon Weekly Albums Chart. He also embarked on a two-month (February and March) Japan tour of the same name. On February 21, he appeared in the cover of the Korean Wave Japanese Magazine Hanryu Pia for the fourth time.
On April 14, 2020, it was announced that Kim Hyun-Joong has decided not to renew his contract with
KeyEast
KeyEast (; stylized as KEYEAST) is a management agency founded by actor Bae Yong-joon.
History
* October 8, 1996 – Tuneboom Korea Co., Ltd. (한국툰붐 주식회사) was established.
* November 2003 – Tuneboom Korea was listed at KOSDAQ.
...
. A representative from
KeyEast
KeyEast (; stylized as KEYEAST) is a management agency founded by actor Bae Yong-joon.
History
* October 8, 1996 – Tuneboom Korea Co., Ltd. (한국툰붐 주식회사) was established.
* November 2003 – Tuneboom Korea was listed at KOSDAQ.
...
Stated “Recently, Kim Hyun Joong’s exclusive contract expired. Rather than renew, we mutually decided to support each other’s futures.” They continued, “Kim Hyun Joong’s album activities will continue through his personal label, which he established last year.”
On October 17, 2020, Kim Hyun-Joong held his first online concert, "A Bell of Blessing" and on October 19, 2020, he released his second full Korean album, a limited edition album titled "A Bell Of Blessing" which debuted at 14 on the
Gaon Weekly Albums Chart. The title track of the Album and its music video features vocals and appearances from Kim Hyun-Joong's fans all over the world.
On August 12, 2022, Kim returned with the first set of songs from his 3rd full Korean album, 'MY SUN' which he said would be released in 3 sets of 4 songs each.. On August 18, 2022, he released the Japanese single album Song for a Dreamer/Super fire as insert songs for the Japanese movie
Violence Action
is a Japanese manga series written by Shin Sawada and illustrated Renji Asai. It has been serialized on Shogakukan's ''Yawaraka Spirits'' website since April 2016.
Media Manga
Written by Shin Sawada and illustrated Renji Asai, ''The Violence ...
. The single debuted at number one on the Oricon weekly rock singles and Oricon weekly indie singles rankings, an
number 18 on Billboard Japan singles chart
Personal life
During a concert on February 27, 2022, Kim announced his marriage with his non-celebrity girlfriend. Later, Kim’s agency confirmed the news. According to his agency, they proceeded their marriage without holding a wedding ceremony.
On July 21, 2022, it was confirmed by the agency that Kim's wife was pregnant. Their first child, a son, was born on October 29, 2022.
Lawsuits
Assault charges
In August 2014, Kim's girlfriend, identified only by her surname Choi, filed assault charges against Kim, claiming that he repeatedly beat her, causing bruises and broken ribs.
Kim denied the charges, saying he had injured Choi only once and that it was an accident that occurred while he was practicing martial arts.
Choi dropped some of the charges against Kim in September after he apologized to her.
However, Kim was later fined 5 million
KRW for injuring Choi, with prosecutors in the case saying, "While Kim claimed that he had no intention of hurting her, the damage from the attack was clear."
This was later rescinded in 2016 when the Republic of Korea's army and civil courts acquitted Kim of these charges due to evidence that came to light. Text messages between Choi, her mother and friends, statements by the director of Dispatch (the tabloid to which Choi provided her evidence) and statements given by the hospitals visited by Choi led the prosecution to state that there was "little to no credibility behind the former girlfriend's allegations that she had to receive a six-week medical treatment for her fractured ribs".
Hospital records also showed that she was not pregnant at the time she visited to get treatment for the injuries to her ribs.
On November 12, 2020, the
Supreme Court of Korea
The Supreme Court of Korea () is the highest ordinary court in the judicial branch of South Korea, seated in Seocho, Seoul. Established under Chapter 5 of the Constitution of South Korea, the Court has ultimate and comprehensive jurisdicti ...
ordered “A” to pay Kim Hyun Joong 100 million
won (approximately $89,700) in damages, upholding the verdict from the first and second trials in which they stated, “There is no evidence that ‘A’ suffered a miscarriage due to abuse, or that he had pressured her to have an abortion. As a celebrity, Kim Hyun Joong’s public image has suffered greatly and his reputation has been damaged.”
Paternity case
In February 2015, a magazine reported that Kim and Choi had reunited, and that Choi was pregnant. Kim stated via a press release that he had not seen Choi since she told him that she was pregnant in January, and could not confirm if he was the father since she had not been in touch. His agency indicated that he would take full responsibility if he was found to be the father of the child.
In December 2015, a paternity test revealed that Kim was the father of a baby that Choi had given birth to in September of that year.
Criminal case
In May 2015, Choi filed a lawsuit against Kim for 1.48 million
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
for mental distress caused by her relationship with him, and claimed that his abuse had caused her to miscarry a previous pregnancy in 2014.
Kim later filed and won a 100 million KRW counter-suit against Choi for defamation, with the court ruling that there was circumstantial evidence that she was not pregnant in 2014. Her lawsuit was dismissed, and she appealed the decision.
Prosecutors filed criminal charges against Kim's ex girlfriend, Choi for attempted fraud and defamation in January 2017. In February 2018, Choi was fined 5 million KRW for attempted fraud.
In November 2020, the 3rd Criminal Division of the Supreme Court (Judge Lee Dong-won, Chief Justice) confirmed a court trial that sentenced Choi to a fine of 5 million won on charges of attempted fraud and defamation by publication. Choi was found to have filed a civil lawsuit while knowing that her allegation that Kim had caused her damage, such as forced abortion, was false. In addition, she was also charged with falsifying evidence related to civil lawsuits, such as deleting some of the contents of KakaoTalk's conversation, and defaming Kim's reputation, including providing reporters with false evidence.
Drunk driving
In March 2017, Kim was charged with drunk driving after police found him asleep in his car at a traffic light in Seoul. His driver's license was suspended and he was eventually fined two million KRW.
Philanthropy
Following the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011, Kim donated 100 million
KRW to earthquake relief efforts in Japan.
Later that year, he donated an addition 50 million KRW to earthquake relief efforts, as well as 50 million KRW to the
Korean Red Cross
The Republic of Korea National Red Cross (more commonly known as the Korean Red Cross) is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside South Korea. It is the designated South Korean aff ...
, and 50 million KRW to a South Korean organization that gives
coal briquettes to people in need. In 2012, he donated proceeds from his debut solo concert to an orphanage in
Fukushima Prefecture.
Kim has also donated tens of millions of ''
won'' to the Kim Hyun-joong Scholarship, which was established by a 15 million KRW donation from his fan club in 2010.
In 2013, Kim donated 100 million KRW to the
One Foundation for the victims of the
Lushan earthquake in China.
In 2019, during his BIO-RHYTHM World Tour in Thailand, he donated 9.7 million KRW to support the tuition fees for the students from Sumakee Learning Center, Mae Sot District, Tak Province.
Discography
Korean
* ''
Break Down'' (2011)
* ''
Lucky'' (2011)
* ''
Round 3
''Round 3'' is Kim Hyun-joong's third Korean mini-album, which was released on July 22, 2013.
Background and development
Two days after the "2013 KHJ Show - Party People" fanmeeting in Seoul, Korea, KeyEast stated that Kim would be releasing hi ...
'' (2013)
* ''
Timing'' (2014)
* ''Haze'' (2017)
* ''New Way'' (2019)
* ''Salt'' (2019)
* ''A Bell of Blessing'' (2020)
* "My Sun" (2022)
Japanese
* ''
Unlimited'' (2012)
* ''
Imademo
is Kim Hyun-joong's second Japanese full-length studio album, which was released on February 11, 2015 under Universal Music Japan and Delicious Deli. It consists of mostly Japanese versions of his Korean songs but also includes four new songs, to ...
'' (2015)
* ''Re:wind'' (2017)
* ''Take My Hand'' (2018)
* ''Wait for Me'' (2018)
* ''This Is Love'' (2019)
* ''Moon, Sun and Your Song'' (2020)
* "Song for a Dreamer" (2022)
Concert tours
* First Japan tour (2011)
* ''Asia Fan Meeting Tour'' (2012)
* ''Unlimited'' Japan tour (2013)
* ''Phantasm'' World tour (2014)
* ''Gemini'' Japan tour (2015)
* ''Inner Core'' Japan tour (2017)
* ''Haze'' World tour (2018)
*Japan Take My Hand Tour (2018)
*"New Way" concert Tour (2019)
*"Bio-Rhythm" World tour (2019)
*"Moon, Sun and Your Song" Japan Tour (2020)
*"A Bell Of Blessing" Distance Concert (2020)
Prism Time Kim Hyun-Joong 2021 online monthly concert. (May to November)
*"The End of a Dream" 2022/2023 World Tour
Filmography
Film
Television series
Variety shows
Voice Acting
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Hyun-joong
1986 births
Living people
People from Seoul
South Korean male television actors
South Korean male singers
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male idols
South Korean Roman Catholics
SS501 members
DSP Media artists
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
Kyung Hee Cyber University alumni
MAMA Award winners