Super Junior’s Kim Heechul calls his view of marriage pessimistic on SBS show
In short
Super Junior’s Kim Heechul said on SBS’s ‘My Ugly Duckling’ that he is pessimistic about marriage because everyone around him is the same, naming Tak Jae-hoon, Lee Dong-gun and Seo Jang-hoon. The Oct 4 episode showed him visiting Lee Dong-gun’s new home with Tak Jae-hoon and Choi Jin-hyuk, where the group joked about what happens to a couple’s belongings after a split. Lee Dong-gun told him his outlook was too pessimistic.
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Super Junior’s Kim Heechul said he takes a pessimistic view of marriage, telling an SBS variety programme that “it can only be pessimistic” because everyone around him is in the same position. He named Tak Jae-hoon, Lee Dong-gun and Seo Jang-hoon, according to Dong-A Ilbo and Maeil Business. The exchange was shown on ‘My Ugly Duckling’ on the afternoon of Oct 4. [ 2 , 3 ]
The scene was set at Lee Dong-gun’s new home, which Kim visited with Tak Jae-hoon and Choi Jin-hyuk. Kim, seeing a sofa and table Lee had used while married still in the house, asked what happens to such items when a couple separates. Lee and Tak answered that whoever needs them may take them, and that some people replace everything because of the memories. When Kim asked about the bed, Tak said he had “no memory of being married,” and snapped at Kim for repeatedly asking about married life. [ 2 , 3 ]
Kim said he asks about the worst possible outcome even when he meets a divorce lawyer, prompting Lee to call him “too pessimistic.” Kim replied that pessimism was unavoidable given his surroundings, after which Lee, Tak and studio panellist Seo Jang-hoon fell silent — a moment the programme played for laughter. Dong-A Ilbo reported that Lee added, “we thought we would live well too,” and looked bitter; Maeil Business reported that Tak retorted that Kim is “the worst among the bachelors.” [ 2 , 3 ]
Dong-A Ilbo also reported that Kim asked Choi Jin-hyuk whether he would tell his mother the password to a newlywed home, describing the conversation as showing his interest in marriage and divorce. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The documents frame this as a light segment on a weekend television entertainment programme, so its significance is limited to Korean entertainment coverage and the reactions of the guests on set. None of the documents indicate any consequence beyond the broadcast, such as a response from Kim Heechul or from the programme.
Key facts
- Kim Heechul of Super Junior said on the Oct 4 episode of SBS’s ‘My Ugly Duckling’ that he is pessimistic about marriage. [ 2 , 3 ]
- He attributed the view to the people around him, naming Tak Jae-hoon, Lee Dong-gun and Seo Jang-hoon. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Lee Dong-gun told him his outlook on marriage was too pessimistic. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The episode showed Kim, Tak Jae-hoon and Choi Jin-hyuk visiting Lee Dong-gun’s new home. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Tak Jae-hoon said he has no memory of being married, and later told Kim he is the worst among the bachelors. [ 3 ]
- Lee Dong-gun said that he and the others thought they would live well too. [ 2 ]
- Kim asked Choi Jin-hyuk whether he would tell his mother the password to a newlywed home. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kim Heechul made the remarks on SBS’s variety show ‘My Ugly Duckling,’ which aired on Oct 4. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Kim said his pessimistic view of marriage comes from those around him, naming Tak Jae-hoon, Lee Dong-gun and Seo Jang-hoon. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Lee Dong-gun told Kim his view of marriage was too pessimistic. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The segment showed Kim visiting Lee Dong-gun’s new home together with Tak Jae-hoon and Choi Jin-hyuk. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The documents do not give an airtime or full broadcast slot for the episode, saying only that it aired on the afternoon of Oct 4. Only one outlet specifies the afternoon airing, and no clock time is stated.
- One outlet’s report carried a headline quoting Kim’s remark on marriage while its article text dealt with an unrelated defence briefing, so that report was not used for details of the episode. The headline and article body of that report do not match, leaving its account of the episode unusable.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- SBS’s ‘My Ugly Duckling’ airs the episode featuring the exchange, on the afternoon of Oct 4. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Newsis publishes a report whose headline says Kim Heechul described himself as pessimistic about marriage because of those around him. [ 1 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo publishes a summary of the episode. [ 2 ]
- Maeil Business publishes a detailed account of the episode, including the remarks about furniture and the bed. [ 3 ]