Super Junior’s Kim Hee-chul breaks silence on dating rumors
Kim Hee-chul of Super Junior appears on MBC talk show “Radio Star.” Captured from MBC’s YouTube channel
Kim Hee-chul of boy band Super Junior has spoken candidly about long-standing rumors regarding his sexuality, revealing how speculation surrounding his friendships with fellow celebrities often spiraled into unfounded dating gossip.
The singer appeared on MBC’s talk show “Radio Star” on Wednesday. During the program, he discussed how questions about his sexual orientation have followed him since his debut due to his androgynous looks and style.
“(Actor) Jang Geun-suk, (singer) Lee Hong-gi and I have a similar vibe, so rumors about me and Geun-suk being in a relationship were very common,” Kim said. “Then eventually, I got caught up in really big dating rumors with Mithra Jin.”
Kim explained that rapper Mithra Jin of Epik High was one of his closest friends when he debuted. “He was much taller and macho, and I had long hair back then. We hung out together all the time,” he said. “It was so serious that Mithra Jin actually kept meeting me in secret from the other Epik High members. One day, Tablo (of Epik High) caught us and thought it was strange.”
Kim added that he was drawn to Mithra Jin because they were complete opposites. “He would always listen to me seriously. We even had the same car, and I’d ride in the passenger seat like we were dating,” he said.
The singer also shared a story involving TVXQ’s Yunho, who he said once lost out on a crush because of him. “When we were trainees, there was a big burger shop in Apgujeong-dong. Yunho told me he wanted to introduce me to someone he liked,” Kim recalled. “At the time, I had long hair and wore floral clothes. As the girl came upstairs, she saw me from behind and just left. After that, Yunho lost contact with her and cried a lot.”
Kim Hee-chul recalls his trainee days when he wore long hair. Captured from MBC’s YouTube channel
Breaking his silence after two decades
Kim noted that he had rarely spoken out against the rumors for more than 20 years. He first touched on the topic in 2023, when he appeared on Jang Geun-suk’s YouTube program.
“I remembered Michael Jackson once said, ‘Among my fans, there are those who like men and those who like women.’ I thought there was no reason for me to deny or explain anything, so I stayed quiet,” Kim said. “But now it’s different. I need to explain because I’m at the age where people expect me to get married.”
With that, he made clear that the speculation about his sexuality was nothing more than rumor.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.