"This is ridiculous": Kim Seon-ho receives criticism for expressing gratitude to Nam Joo-hyuk for helping him during a slump

South Korean star Kim Seon-ho has come under fire for expressing his gratitude towards actor Nam Joo-hyuk.

The channel 'by PDC' recently uploaded a video, with the title "Actor Kim Seon-ho's Way to Work in Daehakro." In the video, after making an appearance on the street close to his residence, Kim Seon-ho strolled to Daehakro.

While The Childe actor refrained from discussing his previous controversies revolving around his personal life on the video, he did disclose that Nam Joo-hyuk had been a source of support for him during difficult times. He shared how Joo-hyuk, who costarred with him in the tvN drama, Start-Up, unexpectedly hugged Seon-ho without saying anything.

However, netizens were quick to lash out at the actor and called it "ridiculous" for bringing up Nam Joo-hyuk, who was recently embroiled in a bullying controversy.

Netizens criticize the actor for thanking Nam Jo-hyuk. (Image via TheQoo & translation by Google)

Kim Seon-ho comes under fire for sharing that Nam Joo-hyuk supported him through tough times

Kim Seon-ho shared the anecdote of how Nam Joo-hyuk gave him strength when he was going through a tough time in his life. He noted:

"People are important to me. I coincidentally saw Nam Joo-hyuk, who was my co-star on tvN’s Start-Up, and he quietly just came up to me and gave me a hug." (as reported and translated by Koreaboo)

The actor took a break in 2022 following the drama Hometown Cha Cha Cha. In 2021, Seon-ho's former partner, Choi Young-ah, accused him of gaslighting. The accusation came after the pair had broken up in May 2021.

In October that same year, a woman made an anonymous tweet accusing an actor she had dated of pressuring her into getting an abortion on the pretense of being married. Kim Seon-ho's message sparked rumors that he was the actor in question, and he subsequently also acknowledged the information in a statement.

The issue involving the actor and his ex-girlfriend caused him to vanish from both the public eye and his social media accounts for seven months.

Later, Dispatch came to Kim Seon-ho's defense and exposed Choi Young-ah's false claims. Screenshots of their texts eventually cleared him of the accusations. After the exposé, the public opinion shifted in his favor.

Expand Tweet

The actor returned to the limelight in 2023 with the release of the Korean action thriller film The Childe. He won the Best New Actor award at the 2023 Asia Artist Awards, alongside winning the Grand Bell Award for acting for the film.

Meanwhile, in a recent video, Kim Seon-ho acknowledged Nam Joo-hyuk for stepping up to be an elder brother when necessary.

Netizens, however, responded negatively to this praise, especially in light of the bullying claims that Nam Joo-hyuk is presently facing.

Online users expressed their divided stance on the Korean forum TheQoo:

Claims of Nam Joo-hyuk accused of alleged school bullying refuted, accuser sued

Recognized for his roles in well-liked K-dramas, actor Nam Joo-hyuk was embroiled in a controversy over school bullying after a video was posted by his old classmate on April 26, 2022.

The footage, which was taken in a classroom, shows the former classmate (accuser) sparring with a male student. Although the accuser claimed that Nam Joo-hyuk's voice could be heard in the video in the background among the students, the video itself lacked clarity owing to inadequate illumination, making it difficult to confirm the actor's presence.

Since the first accusations were made public in 2023, the agency has committed to deny any charges of bullying directed at its artist. Later, the claims were refuted by the former classmate of the Twenty-Five Twenty-One actor.

Expand Tweet

Dispatch reported that the accusations were dismissed as untrue, and those who made them are currently being sued. The actor's former classmates and teachers verified the accusations to be false and baseless.

Two people have also been charged with defamation under the Information and Communication Network Act, as reported by Allkpop. According to the report, the prosecution has designated the cases as summary charges and has chosen to pursue penalties rather than a trial.

Kim Seon-ho is confirmed to star in Netflix's upcoming drama, Can This Love Be Translated, opposite Go Youn-jung. Meanwhile, Nam Joo-hyuk is currently fulfilling his mandatory military service and will return in September 2024.

Obsessed with Crosswords, Wordle, and other word games? Take our quick survey and let us get to know you better!