Ko Ji-yong shares his inner thoughts for the first time since divorce: "I worry about my son Seung-jae… I don’t want things to become awkward" [★FULL INTERVIEW]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Ko Ji-yong, a former member of the group J-TVL (Jewelry), candidly shared his story, covering his relationship with his son, Seung-jae, after his divorce, legal conflicts with his ex-wife Heo Yang-im, deteriorating health, and his return to the stage with fellow J-TVL members.

Ko met with StarNews at a cafe on Noryangno in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 5th, revealing how his life has changed since the divorce and his feelings ahead of reuniting with his J-TVL members.

Ko married Heo Yang-im, a specialist in family medicine, in 2013, and they had a son named Seung-jae. However, they filed for a consensual divorce in April 2024. The news of their divorce drew significant attention, as the family had previously won widespread love by appearing on the KBS 2TV variety show "The Return of Superman."

In July, Ko announced his divorce via social media, explaining that he had kept it private until now for the sake of his son.

During this interview as well, he stated, "My son did not want this situation to become known even to his friends’ mothers and fathers. That is why I had not spoken about it until now." He added, "As time passed, people began to get curious, and we thought it would be better for us to speak up directly rather than having the story spread through others’ mouths."

He continued, "It feels overwhelming and burdensome. We are adults who have weathered many storms in life, but a child is at an age where he has no reason to go through such things." He revealed, "I was most concerned about Seung-jae getting hurt."

Currently, custody and guardianship of Seung-jae are held by Heo Yang-im. The two are engaged in legal disputes over issues including visitation rights with their son.

Ko’s side applied for an injunction prohibiting interference with visitation and a ban on posting photos or videos of the child, stating that visitation had not been carried out smoothly. On the other hand, Heo Yang-im’s side maintains that there was no separate agreement regarding regular visitation at the time of the divorce, and that she was the one who first petitioned the court for a visitation ruling.

Regarding this matter, Ko emphasized, "The issue currently being adjudicated in court is not about child support. It is about visitation rights."

He explained, "My son has been busy, and there were situations where I tried to take him out when I had time, but we could not meet. The arrangements we had agreed upon for regular meetings have become meaningless." He added, "Given the ambiguous situation, I would like the court to clearly define the terms of visitation."

Regarding his relationship with his son, Ko stated, "I think I have seen Seung-jae about two or three times this year. We talk on the phone and exchange messages via KakaoTalk, but the number of in-person meetings has decreased."

He noted, "Recently, when I contacted him to ask if he had done well after attending a math competition, we did not discuss topics related to the divorce or disputes." He added, "Since we do not see each other’s faces every day, I do not want things to become awkward by bringing up the dispute. Even from my perspective, it seems my son is choosing not to speak about it for that reason."

Ko expressed his hope that the legal conflict would be resolved amicably, stating, "It seems like it will be settled soon. We are trying to conclude matters in a way that neither party suffers damage or hurt." He added, "While there have been many distorted or exaggerated aspects as the story spread, I do not think it is necessary to respond to every single one."

He revealed that his health had also deteriorated significantly during the period when he was preparing for the divorce. Addressing past rumors about his health issues following his gaunt appearance, Ko stated, "I have improved a lot now."

He recalled, "I was under a lot of stress. I was preparing for the divorce and had also been scammed in my work, so I relied on alcohol. At that time, it was the only escape I had." He added, "It was a situation where I could not tell anyone that I was going to get divorced."

In particular, he stated, "I was once rushed to the emergency room and hospitalized due to liver cirrhosis." He added, "I am now practicing moderation in drinking and managing my health by seeing my primary care physician and undergoing abdominal ultrasound examinations."

Having faced various personal difficulties, Ko will return to the stage with his J-TVL members at the end of this year. Ko is set to appear alongside Lee Jae-jin and Jang Soo-won at "THE TREE in INSPIRE - The Untold Story of J-TVL," which will be held on December 15 and 16 at Inspire Arena in Incheon. The event has been organized ahead of J-TVL’s 30th anniversary next year, but Eun Ji-won and Kim Jae-deok will not attend.

This event began with a meeting between Ko and Lee Jae-jin. Ko explained, "In the summer, I had a meal with Jae-jin hyung (older brother), and we talked about how next year marks J-TVL’s 30th anniversary and whether there was something we could do." He added, "Jae-jin hyung suggested that the two of us should try it first, and later, when Su-won joined in, the scale grew larger."

However, after news of the event was released, some fans opposed Ko’s participation on a stage bearing the J-TVL name, noting that he had not joined the official activities during the group’s 2016 reunion.

In response, Ko stated, "I think those who criticize have the right to do so. I also understand why fans are criticizing me." He added, "I have never used the name J-TVL while doing my own work. It does not help my business, and I have no personal reason to use that name."

He emphasized, "However, I think it makes no sense to say that I cannot use the name J-TVL when I am going on stage with my J-TVL members."

Ko also clarified criticisms regarding his decision not to participate in the past J-TVL reunion while appearing on the KBS 2TV variety show "The Return of Superman."

Ko stated, "I have never once said with my own mouth that I would not appear on television. What I said at the time was that it would be difficult for me to join J-TVL’s activities; I did not say I would not appear on TV shows."

He explained, "At that time, family was my priority. My son’s mother was working as a university professor, and our child was still young. It was not that my family discouraged me from working at home; I made that judgment myself."

Appearing on "The Return of Superman" was also not an easy decision. Ko revealed, "In fact, I agonized a lot even when doing 'The Return of Superman.' We had to expose our child and reveal our home. The company said we would be filming, so it became a situation where even the employees were exposed." He added, "Observational variety shows have that aspect, so after much deliberation, I decided to appear."

He added, "There may have been fans who were disappointed by that choice, but I fully understand. I think it is something I need to accept."

Ko stated, "I thought of 'The Return of Superman' as a show for my child. Looking back, we appeared for about three years. We started when Seung-jae was three and stopped when he was in kindergarten, so it seems like we wrapped up at a good time."

He continued, "I think we made many good memories with our child. Of course, there were uncomfortable parts, but I wonder if we would have been able to experience things like visiting Baekdu Mountain and Mexico with him had we not appeared on TV." He recalled, "Through the show, we traveled to many places and were able to build special memories with my son."

As he is returning to the stage after a long time, he is putting effort into preparation. Ko stated, "I think I need to work at least twice as hard as others. Even if I do not stand out, I should not be a burden to the members." He revealed, "For songs we performed many times, the choreography comes back to me, but for songs we only did in concerts long ago, it is fuzzy."

He expressed his desire to make this event feel like a year-end party where he shares memories with fans. Ko stated, "I would just like people to have the feeling that they had fun playing with their older brothers (the members)." He recalled, "There are people who said they are coming with their husbands. I remember being surprised when I went on stage during 'Infinite Challenge' and saw a fan wearing a yellow raincoat while holding a newborn baby."

He also expressed anticipation for J-TVL’s 30th anniversary next year. He stated, "If we can make it happen, I definitely want to do the 30th-anniversary stage. The time of the 30th anniversary will not come again, and perhaps it could be the last one." He added, "Because it is that meaningful an event, I really want to try it."

For Ko, J-TVL remains his identity. He stated, "J-TVL is my identity. Whether I want it or not, that is how it is, and I think so as well."

He also left the door open for future broadcasting activities. Ko stated, "Calling it a 'return' seems a bit grandiose. If there is a program that fits me and can be done alongside my work, I would like to appear occasionally."

He added, "There were places that contacted me as soon as the divorce news came out, but I felt it was not yet at a stage where I could do it."

Finally, Ko shared his calm thoughts on the passage of time. He stated, "The biggest change is that I have gotten older. But with age comes experience, and I have gained inner strength." He added, "I cannot return my visuals to how they were before, but I want to age gracefully. Everyone has to get old, right? I want to live hard until my 60s and eventually go live in a place like the Mediterranean."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original