Choi Min Hwan sat down with Dispatch to give a full breakdown of his reasons for divorcing Yulhee.

According to Min Hwan, there were two additional issues before the divorce. The first crisis was caused by Yulhee herself. The issues were her frequent runaways and sleep habits. Choi Min Hwan explained that Yulhee was not a dedicated mother and that she would party at night and sleep during the day.

In August 2021, Choi Min Hwan even expressed his intention to divorce Yulhee to his agency manager. However, the situation did not escalate further as Choi Min Hwan chose to understand Yulhee.

The second fault lay with Choi Min Hwan. Yulhee discovered that he had visited an establishment in the second half of 2022. Deeply hurt, Yulhee was heartbroken, and Choi Min Hwan apologized and sought forgiveness. The two reconciled again.

The third conflict once again stemmed from Yulhee. Her napping and runaway behavior caused issues. In August 2023, Choi Min Hwan said he could no longer live with her and Yulhee admitted her faults as well.

Choi Min Hwan explained, "We lived together for five years. During that time, Yul Hee ran away more than 20 times due to fights. Sometimes for a day or two, and sometimes for as long as a week to ten days."

Their five years of marriage were a continuous cycle of conflict, reconciliation, and conflict again. Choi Min Hwan's visit to the establishment was just one of many issues (and it was not even brought up during the divorce settlement discussions).

Dispatch reported, "Then, Yulhee suddenly changed her stance drastically. In October of last year, she revealed on her YouTube channel that Choi Min Hwan had visited such establishments, attributing the divorce to his inappropriate behavior."

Choi Min Hwan explained to Dispatch that Yulhee then overturned the agreed divorce terms, demanding 100 million KRW (approximately 68,142 USD) in alimony and 1 billion KRW (approximately 682,000 USD) in property division. She also requested custody of their children, demanding child support payments until the kids reached adulthood.

Choi Min Hwan has firmly stated that he "absolutely" cannot meet Yulhee's demands. From his perspective, Yul Hee was the decisive cause of their divorce, which had already been finalized.

Dispatch released the conversation between Minhwan and Yulhee:

2) August 10, 2021: Conversation After 9 Days

Yulhee: Who called my mom in the middle of the night after our fight? It was you who tried to kick me out.

Choi Min Hwan: And who sat next to my mom and said, "Do you know what I’ve put up with because of you?" If you were that frustrated and wanted to party, you should take this chance to enjoy yourself.

Yulhee: I cursed because I was furious after you called my mom in the middle of the night and told her to come take me away. I admit that cursing in front of your mom was wrong, and that’s on me.

Choi Min Hwan: Why do you think I called your mom? And when did I ever treat you like a housekeeper? Think about it. Ever since [our mutual friend] visited, you’ve been sleeping all the time. Was it wrong for me to feel hurt and bring it up? You were yelling "Hey!" and calling me "you" with that angry look in your eyes. I felt like I couldn’t handle you anymore, so I called your mom.

Yulhee: You were the one who yelled first. But yes, I admit that cursing and shouting was wrong.

Choi Min Hwan: Even if we’re fighting, there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed.

Choi Min Hwan continued to tell Dispatch that the main reason for the divorce was Yulhee's excessive sleep. But when Dispatch questioned whether excessive sleep could be the reason for arguing, Min Hwan explained, "Wouldn't it be a problem if someone sleeps 18 to 20 hours a day?" and further added, "Yul Hee sleeps an abnormal amount. Sometimes, she sleeps 18 to 20 hours a day. When I bring it up, she gets furious. Then, she leaves the house. Over the past five years, she has left home more than 20 times. Who could endure that?"

Dispatch wondered if Yulhee's naps were to cope with the stress from child care. 

Choi Min Hwan served as a reservist on active duty (from February 4, 2020, to September 2, 2021). During that time, Yul Hee had to care for their three children. Dispatch questioned, "Could her naps have been a way to cope with the stress?"

However, Min Hwan refuted, "During my military service, we hired a caregiver who stayed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. After I returned home, I took care of the children. My mother also helped with childcare, as well as preparing dinner, and doing household chores. I never asked Yul Hee to make dinner or wash the dishes."

Choi Min Hwan explained he could no longer handle the situation and messaged his manager about divorcing Yulhee.

4) Manager Chat: "I Think This Is the End for Me"

On August 1, 2021, the day Yul Hee left home, Choi Min Hwan sent a message to his agency manager.

Choi Min Hwan: We fought because she just sleeps all the time. I don't get it. How can someone sleep all day?

Manager: Maybe she's struggling with the stress of childcare. Bring her back quickly!

Choi Min Hwan: But I see everything myself. She doesn’t even change a single diaper. She doesn’t even care whether the kids eat or not. I’m home every day after work. She literally sleeps all day long.

Manager: That’s only been the case since you returned from service, right?

Choi Min Hwan: I go to work at 8 a.m. and come back at 4 p.m. She makes the kids nap for four hours during the day. I mean, sleeping is one thing, but she sleeps 18 hours a day!

Min Hwan also sent a message to Yulhee expressing his frustration about her excessive naps.

Translation: "TongTong (Yulhee), I feel really sad... I want to talk with you and spend time together, but you sleep all the time, even though I know you’re tired. When are we ever going to talk? You can't tell me that you're upset about us sleeping separately when I’m just left alone and fall asleep by myself. We could spend at least one day talking about the kids and having conversations about different things."

"Today, I was watching videos of the kids by myself, even shedding tears alone. I really wanted to watch them with you and talk a bit, but no matter how much I tried to wake you up, you didn’t respond."

"I woke you up because I just wanted to say thank you."

Choi Min Hwan also talked about Yulhee's runaways. 

He explained, "Yul Hee left home around August 19. She was away for about a week and returned on the night of the 26th. She was drunk. She asked for forgiveness and promised, 'I’ll never leave home again'."

According to Min Hwan, Yulhee apologized first and they reconciled. However, Yulhee left home again two days later and returned home early the next day. She continued to go out at night and return the next day. Choi Min Hwan claimed Yulhee would sleep all day thereafter.

He decided that maintaining the marriage was impossible due to her actions and decided to divorce. He shared, "My grandmother passed away on July 10, and one month later, our pet dog Lotto died. Our whole family was having a hard time and F.T. Island had a Seoul performance scheduled." But Yulhee was not there to support him.

He continued, "It must have not been easy for Yulhee in this marriage too. I understood that and we reconciled. However, she left home a few days later again. She put on makeup during the time we should be putting the kids to sleep. She would leave at night and return home around 5 or 6 AM. She slept all day and repeated this the next day and the day after."

Yulhee: Oppa, when you said you wanted a divorce, what was the biggest reason behind that decision?

Choi Min Hwan: The biggest thing was that I felt like I couldn’t keep living my life like this. I didn’t think things would get any better. You and I are so different in personality and how we live our lives, and it felt like neither of us would ever change.

Yulhee: Back then, did you even think about helping me a little so I could take the kids and live on my own?

Choi Min Hwan: I still think about it now, but realistically, I can’t help you right away.

Choi Min Hwan: I paid all your taxes last year and deposited a few million won into your account for living expenses. After that, I’ve been living like a day laborer, just scraping by. Even now, I’m spending over 10 million won a month. I need to save up something before I can help you.

Yulhee: So you did think about it? And you still think about it, even if just a little?

Choi Min Hwan: Of course. That’s why I said from the start that you could take my car and sell it for deposit money or something.

Yulhee: I thought of that as a different issue because it was something we talked about earlier this year. Back then, it felt like you were saying, “I messed up, so I’ll do everything I can to help.” But with this divorce issue, since you brought it up, I didn’t feel like I could ask you for anything. You were the one who brought it up because of my problems, and knowing the reality of our situation...

However, Yulhee requested for mediation. On December 4, Yul Hee submitted a mediation request to the Seoul Family Court, seeking changes to custody and guardianship. Her demands included 1 billion KRW (approximately 682,000 USD) in property division, 100 million KRW (approximately 69,000 USD) in alimony, and custody and guardianship of the children.

She suddenly claimed that Choi Min Hwan had frequented adult entertainment establishments.

Choi Min Hwan and Yul Hee Finalized Their Divorce on December 8, 2023

The couple completed their divorce settlement on December 8, 2023. At the time of their divorce, they agreed on the terms for alimony and property division, deciding that no financial exchanges would take place. Custody and guardianship of the children were awarded to Choi Min Hwan.

However, Yul Hee overturned the agreement a year later. She claimed, "My married life changed 180 degrees after Choi Min Hwan's visit to an illegal establishment," adding, "After that incident, I hated being at home," placing the blame for the breakdown of their marriage on Choi Min Hwan's misconduct.

Choi Min Hwan revisited a past conversation they had, which included a message from Yulhee saying, "It’s because of my issues that you brought this up first..."

First, Choi Min Hwan clarified the allegations surrounding the alleged illegal establishment. He explained that the place he had visited was the karaoke bar where Yul Hee's birthday party had been held. He added, "Yulhee also knows A, the person I spoke to. He’s the karaoke host, and the birthday party was held there."

Choi Min Hwan argued, "That place is not a brothel. It’s the karaoke bar where we celebrated Yul Hee’s birthday. A works there, and when the room was unavailable that day, I asked about other options." 

Choi Min Hwan admitted that there had been significant conflict between them due to Yulhee’s lifestyle habits. He confessed, "In the second half of 2022, I drank to relieve my stress. I handled the situation immaturely."

According to the audio files released by Yulhee, Choi Min Hwan had also asked 'A' about a "shirt room" (a type of bar with hostesses), inquiring about room fees and hostess charges, as well as asking for help reserving a motel. These details made it difficult for Yul Hee not to suspect him of soliciting prostitution.

Choi Min Hwan explained, "I asked about the shirt room because there were no available rooms at the karaoke bar. But I did not engage in prostitution. I admit that I gave her a reason to misunderstand. I acknowledged my fault, apologized, and reflected on my actions."

However, Choi Min Hwan emphasized that visiting the establishment was not the reason for their divorce. Choi Min Hwan explained, "When we agreed on the terms of our divorce, that issue was never even brought up. The main reason was our inability to bridge the gap in our lifestyles. So why is she suddenly bringing up the establishment issue as the cause of the divorce and demanding alimony?" 

Choi Min Hwan explained that at the time of their divorce settlement, Yulhee agreed that Choi Min Hwan would have custody and guardianship of the children. However, a year later, she presented a different stance, asserting that she had always been, and still was, the primary caregiver.

During the mediation request, Yulhee claimed, "Choi Min Hwan spends long periods overseas and cannot properly care for the children. Even after the divorce, I have been the one raising them." But Choi Min Hwan dismissed her claims as "groundless."

Choi Min Hwan explained,"We started living separately in September 2023. In the 13 months since, she has only had visitation with the children 15 times. When I send the kids to her, I pack their clothes and belongings in a suitcase. How could she possibly be considered the primary caregiver?"

Choi Min Hwan insisted that he had never been negligent in caring for the children. He shared, "I take the kids to kindergarten. Even during overseas performances, I never missed providing feedback through the kids' communication app (Kid’s Note). When I’m unavailable, my mother handles drop-offs and pick-ups. I don’t understand why she is suddenly insisting that she’s the primary caregiver." 

Finally, Choi Min Hwan explained, "At the time of the divorce, I was emotionally drained and couldn’t fight back. But now, I feel I need to set things straight. It will be a long fight, but I can’t let this go without trying."

Choi Min Hwan expressed his frustration, saying, "As a father of three, I’m responsible for raising them and can’t even step outside. This isn’t the outcome I wanted at all. But I feel devastated by how things have turned out." He added, "Even after the divorce, I made efforts to be considerate toward Yulhee. But I don’t understand why she’s resorting to such extreme measures. I admit my faults, but I came forward because I wanted to correct the lies. I’m sorry."

Meanwhile, Dispatch reached out to Yul Hee multiple times to hear her side of the story, but they received no response. Therefore, Yulhee’s statements have been compiled based on her mediation request to the court and her broadcast remarks.

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