Director Hong Sang Soo reportedly skipped his only daughter's wedding

It has been revealed that director Hong Sang Soo did not attend his only daughter’s wedding.

On January 20, entertainment reporter Lee Jin Ho posted the video titled “[Exclusive Shock] Kim Min Hee’s Pregnancy, and Why Hong Sang Soo Didn’t Give a Wedding Gift to His Daughter” on his YouTube channel.

In the video, Lee Jin Ho claimed, “Director Hong Sang Soo reportedly cherished his daughter deeply. However, when his only daughter got married 2–3 years ago, it’s said that he shockingly did not attend the wedding.”

The reporter added, “Not only did he skip the wedding, but he also didn’t give a monetary gift. A friend of his wife who witnessed the event reportedly expressed anger, saying, ‘Has Hong Sang Soo gone too far this time?’ However, his wife responded calmly, saying, ‘He’s always been like this,’ without even a change in expression.”

Regarding rumors that Hong Sang Soo received an alleged 120 billion KRW (approximately 83 million USD) from his mother, Lee Jin Ho stated, “He’s widely perceived as being very wealthy due to rumors stemming from a broadcast about his mother’s 120 billion KRW inheritance. However, this is a well-known piece of fake news. According to acquaintances, while it’s true that he grew up in a well-off family, the inheritance rumor itself is completely false. If Hong Sang Soo had received an inheritance of that scale, it would have attracted significant attention from the tax authorities.”

Lee Jin Ho also dismissed claims that Hong Sang Soo cut off his daughter’s study-abroad expenses after his affair with Kim Min Hee. Lee Jin Ho explained, “Hong Sang Soo has always been known as extremely frugal. According to those close to him, he never funded his daughter’s education abroad in the first place. It was actually his mother-in-law who covered the full cost of her granddaughter’s education. Hong Sang Soo’s wife came from a financially secure family, having attended both high school and university in the United States in the 1980s, even acquiring a green card. Her mother, who was deeply fond of her granddaughter, paid for her entire study-abroad expenses."

On January 17, it was revealed that actress Kim Min Hee is pregnant with Hong Sang Soo’s child, reigniting public backlash. The two became romantically involved after working together on the 2015 film Right Now, Wrong Then and officially acknowledged their relationship during a press event for On the Beach at Night Alone in 2017.

Despite their long-standing relationship, Hong Sang Soo remains legally married. His attempt to file for divorce from his wife was dismissed based on the court’s principle of not granting divorce requests filed by a party at fault for the breakdown of the marriage. 

As a result, Hong Sang Soo and Kim Min Hee have remained in an extramarital relationship for nearly a decade.