Kim Byung-man admits to two children with fiancee after divorce from ex-wife

Comedian Kim Byung-man / Korea Times file

Comedian Kim Byung-man has acknowledged the existence of two biological children with his fiancee, amid a paternity lawsuit filed by his legally adopted daughter.

His agency said that the children were born after the breakdown of his previous marriage to his ex-wife, identified as A, and denied claims of infidelity.

An official from Kim’s agency Skyturtle said on Thursday, “Kim Byung-man had two children with his current fiancee after his marriage with A ended in irreparable breakdown. The lawsuit appears to be based on unreasonable claims, especially with the verdict for his adoption annulment suit scheduled for Aug. 8.”

Earlier that day, B, the daughter of A and Kim’s adopted daughter through marriage, filed a lawsuit at the Seoul Family Court seeking to verify whether the two children are Kim’s biological offspring.

She claimed that the children were likely born during Kim’s legal marriage to her mother and requested a court-ordered DNA test, citing potential inheritance issues and the need to confirm legal paternity.

Kim and A legally registered their marriage in 2010, and he adopted B, who was A's daughter from a previous marriage. The couple’s relationship began to unravel in 2019, and in Dec. 2022, the Seoul Family Court ruled that their marriage had collapsed beyond repair.

The court finalized the divorce with a seventy-five to twenty-five asset split in Kim’s favor and ordered A to return nearly 1 billion won ($770,000) in property and insurance rights. A’s appeal and subsequent petition to the Supreme Court were both dismissed, finalizing the divorce in 2023.

However, Kim’s legal relationship with B remained intact. He filed three lawsuits seeking to annul the adoption, two of which were dismissed. The final ruling is scheduled for Aug. 8.

Responding to B’s claim that the children were born during the marriage, Kim’s agency reiterated that the two children were born after his marital relationship with A had ended.

Kim is scheduled to remarry on Sept. 20 on the rooftop of Sebitseom Floating Island in Seoul. His bride-to-be is a younger office worker. Originally planning a ceremony in Jeju Island, the couple relocated the wedding to Seoul for the convenience of guests.

Kim has already moved to Jeju, where he recently opened an experiential theme cafe, and has been sharing his new life on his YouTube channel.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.