A legal dispute has broken out between former Sechs Kies member Ko Ji Yong and his ex-wife, family medicine specialist Hur Yang Im, regarding their son, Seung Jae.
On September 17, Hur Yang Im took to social media to address the situation cautiously. “As the sole legal guardian of Seung Jae, who is entering a sensitive age, my priority is his well-being, which makes me extremely hesitant to share my perspective,” she stated.
Addressing the core dispute, Hur explained, “There was no specific agreement regarding visitation rights at the time of our divorce,” adding that Ko Ji Yong claims she is “unreasonably restricting” his access to their son. She confirmed, “I have already filed a petition for visitation rights with the court and intend to fully abide by the court’s decision moving forward.”
Her statement follows Ko Ji Yong’s announcement that he filed an injunction seeking to stop interference with his visitation rights and to restrict Hur from posting photos and videos of their son online. Ko’s side claims that since their uncontested divorce in April 2024, he has only been allowed to see his son about six times over the past two years.
Ko also alleged that Hur took extreme measures regarding child support: “She forced child support payments by freezing my bank accounts and insurance through an attachment order. I expressed my intention to comply through legal notice, but received no response.” He added, “Despite resuming regular child support, being denied visitation and facing threats of violating child welfare laws became unbearable.”
On September 16th, reporter-turned-YouTuber Lee Jin Ho claimed that while Ko agreed to pay 1.89 million won ($1,300) per month in child support at the time of the divorce, his unpaid child support had reached roughly 40 million won. Including interest, the total claim is estimated to be around 50 million won ($36,000).
Ko’s agency, Mountain Movement Story, acknowledged the unpaid child support, saying financial difficulties related to his health issues and medical treatment caused the delays. The agency stated they sent two official notices proposing a phased payment plan and noted that Ko has been consistently fulfilling his monthly obligations since August 2026.
The two sides also gave conflicting accounts of the timeline. Ko’s side claims he was unable to see his son even after his health improved. Hur’s side, however, says Ko initially postponed visitation after the divorce. Ko’s side acknowledged the initial delays were due to his health, but said subsequent visits were still not allowed.
Adding to the tension, Hur uploaded a video to her YouTube channel on the same day showing her dining out and watching fireworks with Seung Jae. The timing of the post—released right after Ko filed an injunction to stop media posts featuring their son—drew significant online attention.
As the dispute unfolds, Ko’s past television comments are resurfacing. During an episode of KBS 2TV’s Mr. House Husband last year, Ko hesitated when suggested to video call Seung Jae, saying, “He doesn’t really answer the phone. He doesn’t seem to mind much even if several messages pile up.” The broadcast showed Ko waiting over an hour for a text reply from his son.
Ko Ji Yong and Hur Yang Im married in 2013 and welcomed Seung Jae the following year, later gaining public popularity on KBS 2TV’s The Return of Superman. The couple finalized their mutual divorce in April 2024, with Ko personally revealing the news to the public in July.
>> Former SECHSKIES Member Ko Ji Yong Reveals He Divorced Two Years Ago
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