Kim Ho-young [YouTube channel 'Donkitaka']
Kim Ho-young [YouTube channel 'Donkitaka']

Musical actor Kim Ho-young, 43, has shared a story about cutting ties with an acquaintance who made unreasonable requests.

Kim hosts Kakao Bank's YouTube channel "Donkitaka." In a recently uploaded video, he said, "It seems like when people are about to get married, they lose all sense of what's reasonable."

He said the acquaintance had asked him to perform a congratulatory song at their wedding, and that he had been willing to do so given how close they were.

But the requests did not stop there. "They said they wanted a very expensive wedding package — studio shoot, dress and makeup — and asked whether I could get them a celebrity discount," Kim said. "I turned that down, but told them I would still sing at the wedding."

Then a filming schedule was suddenly set for the same day as the wedding, leaving Kim unable to perform. He apologized to the acquaintance and offered to send a junior colleague in his place, even agreeing to cover that colleague's performance fee himself.

"The acquaintance said they were disappointed, but then came back saying the junior colleague I suggested didn't fit the concept of their wedding and asked if I could get them someone more famous," Kim said. "That's when I ended the relationship."

"I had known this person for a long time," he added. "I never thought they would say something like that."

Kim's remarks have drawn attention because they came amid his more than two months of silence in response to fellow musical actor Ok Joo-hyun's public demands for an explanation. Ok is a former member of the K-pop group Fin.K.L.

In July, Ok used a fan communication platform and media interviews to call on Kim to explain his "Ok Jangpan" remarks, saying she regretted dropping her lawsuit against him despite the significant harm the comments had caused her.

The "Ok Jangpan" remarks stem from allegations that Ok had used her influence to have a close acquaintance cast in the 2022 musical "Elisabeth." Ok and the production company denied the claims, but at the time Kim posted on social media — without naming Ok directly — "The old saying was 'Asa Jangpan.' Now it's 'Ok Jangpan,'" a phrase widely interpreted as a dig at Ok.

Ok said she had never once received an apology from Kim. "I suffered so much because of the 'Ok Jangpan' image and framing that should never have been attached to me. There was not a single moment when I was OK," she said, adding that Kim, "as the person who caused this uproar, needs to come forward at least once — whether with an excuse or the truth."

Kim, however, has not responded to Ok's demands despite consistently staying active in the public eye for more than two months since.


paq@heraldcorp.com