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Ex-U-KISS member Eli addresses child support dispute over 850,000 won a month
Версия 2: Additional outlets, including Newsis, Korea Economic Daily and Seoul Shinmun, carried the same statement into the following morning; no new facts, claims or responses were added.
Коротко
Eli, 35, a former member of the K-pop group U-KISS, posted a statement on his social media on Oct. 5 saying he had seen comments calling him a “trash human” and stingy over child support, and explaining how the 850,000 won monthly figure arose. He said he sent money when his son needed things rather than a fixed monthly sum, and that he paid about $6,000–8,000 a month during the period, when he says he was working for minimum wage in the pandemic. His ex-wife, broadcaster Ji Yeon-su, has said she receives 850,000 won a month in child support.
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Eli, 35, a former member of the K-pop group U-KISS, posted a statement on his social media on Oct. 5 addressing a controversy over child support, saying he had seen many comments describing him as a “trash human” or as stingy. He said he had not wanted to discuss the matter publicly but wanted to explain how the 850,000 won monthly figure arose, according to Maeil Business and Seoul Economic Daily. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
In his account, Eli said he did not want to put a price tag on his son's welfare and preferred to send money when specific needs came up, such as school supplies or meals out, rather than pay a fixed monthly sum. He said he sent about $6,000–8,000 a month during the period in question, though the outlets differ on the duration: Maeil Business reported he said 34 months, while Seoul Economic Daily reported 3 to 4 months. He also said the money he sent may not have been formally designated as child support. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
He said the period coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was working for minimum wage, and that much of the money came from limited savings. He said he worried at the time that he might have to take on debt. [ 2 , 4 ]
His ex-wife, broadcaster Ji Yeon-su, has said she receives 850,000 won a month in child support, citing a court-determined minimum of 640,000 won, and that she works part-time at a gomtang restaurant, according to Maeil Business. Seoul Economic Daily reported that Ji said in June this year that she receives 850,000 won a month, after which some internet users said the amount seemed too small. It also reported that she said in 2021 on an SBS Plus television programme that she was not receiving child support, and that the two appeared together on a 2022 TV Chosun programme in which the payments appeared to be continuing. [ 2 , 4 ]
Eli said what hurt him most was seeing a person he had worked with in the past agree when he was called a “monster”. He said he was sorry for anyone disappointed or hurt by the published amount but would not apologise for the circumstances that led to the decision, and that he still gives money to his son when he can see him. He said his son matters far more to him than winning an argument. [ 4 ]
Eli and Ji registered their marriage in 2014 and divorced in 2020; their son, Min-su, is being raised by Ji. Chosun Ilbo noted that Eli spoke publicly about child support about six years after the divorce and about four months after his remarriage, part of a series of child-support disputes involving entertainment figures in the second half of 2026. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Почему это важно
The statement is the latest in a run of child-support disputes involving Korean entertainment figures that outlets say have drawn wide coverage in the second half of 2026. It keeps public attention on how support payments after divorce are arranged and how the amounts are judged, though the documents describe no legal or policy consequences.
Ключевые факты
- Eli, 35, a former member of the group U-KISS, posted a statement on his social media on Oct. 5 addressing the child support controversy. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- He said he had seen many comments describing him as a “trash human” or as stingy over child support, and that he wanted to explain how the 850,000 won figure came about. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- He said he did not want to put a price tag on his son's welfare and preferred sending money when needs arose instead of a fixed monthly payment. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said he sent about $6,000–8,000 a month to his son during the period in question; Maeil Business reported he said 34 months, while Seoul Economic Daily reported 3 to 4 months. [ 2 , 4 ]
- He said the period was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was working for minimum wage, and that much of the money came from limited savings. [ 2 , 4 ]
- His ex-wife, broadcaster Ji Yeon-su, has said she receives 850,000 won a month in child support and cited a court-determined minimum of 640,000 won. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Eli and Ji married in 2014 and divorced in 2020 and have one son, who is being raised by Ji; Eli remarried in June. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Подтверждено несколькими источниками
- Eli posted a statement on his own social media on Oct. 5 about the child support controversy. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- He said he had seen comments calling him a “trash human” and accusing him of being stingy over child support. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- He said he preferred sending money when his son needed something rather than paying a fixed monthly amount. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said he sent about $6,000–8,000 a month during the period in question. [ 2 , 4 ]
- He said the period coincided with the pandemic and that he was working for minimum wage, drawing on his savings. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Ji Yeon-su has publicly said she receives 850,000 won a month in child support. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- The two married in 2014 and divorced in 2020, and Eli remarried this year. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Пока неясно
- How many months Eli sent the larger payments: Maeil Business reported he said 34 months, while Seoul Economic Daily reported 3 to 4 months. The two outlets give different durations for the same claim, and the documents do not reconcile them.
- Whether the 850,000 won a month was set by a court and what the divorce settlement specified. The documents quote Ji Yeon-su on the amount and on a court minimum of 640,000 won, but do not state the terms of any order.
- Ji Yeon-su's statement on a 2021 television programme that she was not receiving child support. Only one document reports it, and Eli's account of payments during the pandemic period differs.
- Whether the money Eli sent was legally classified as child support. He said it may not have been officially designated as such, and no document gives a ruling on the point.
- Whether Ji Yeon-su has responded to Eli's statement. The documents do not say whether she replied.
- The payment amounts and duration rest on Eli's own social media statement. The documents carry no response from Ji Yeon-su and no confirmation from a court or agency.
Что пишут местные СМИ
Хронология, местное время
- Chosun Ilbo reports that Eli posted on his social media that day, saying he wanted to explain how the 850,000 won payment came about. [ 1 ]
- Maeil Business publishes his account, including the claim that he sent about $6,000–8,000 a month for 34 months rather than fixed monthly support. [ 2 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports the case as part of a wave of child-support disputes involving entertainment figures in the second half of 2026. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily publishes a fuller account, including his apology to those upset by the amount, the hurt he says he felt, and a differing duration of 3 to 4 months for the payments. [ 4 ]
- Newsis carries the story under a headline about Eli's statement on the 850,000 won controversy. [ 5 ]
- Korea Economic Daily carries the story under a headline about Eli addressing the 850,000 won child support controversy. [ 6 ]
- Seoul Shinmun follows up with a report that Eli explained the 850,000 won child support payments to his ex-wife. [ 7 ]