Eli (35), a former member of the group U-KISS, explained the controversy regarding his son's child support.
On the 5th, Eli posted a long message in English on his Instagram.
Eli stated, "I have seen many comments calling me a 'trash human' or stingy regarding my son's child support," adding, "I do not want to discuss this publicly, but I will explain how the child support amount came to be 850,000 won."
Eli explained that at the time of their divorce, he did not pay a fixed monthly amount but rather sent money whenever his son needed something, stating, "For three to four months at the time, I sent $6,000 to $8,000 (Hanwha approximately 8 million to 10.7 million won) each month."
Subsequently, he corrected the statement by specifying the period from November 2020 to May 2022 and stating the amount as "I sent a total of $33,000 (Hanwha 44.3 million won) over two years."
Regarding Ji Eun-soo's remarks on the SBS Plus program "Kang Ho-dong's Bapshim," which aired in 2021, where she stated that she was not receiving child support, Eli appealed, saying, "I was deeply hurt, feeling as though I was being called a monster and my personality and manhood were being attacked."
Eli continued, "During the pandemic, I was living on minimum wage. Therefore, I had to dip into the savings I had painstakingly accumulated up to that point to send money," explaining, "This situation was one of several factors that ultimately influenced the decision to set child support at 850,000 won per month."
Eli said, "If anyone has been disappointed or hurt by the publicly disclosed child support amount, I am sorry for that part. However, I do not want to apologize for the circumstances at the time that left me with no choice but to make such a decision," adding, "Even now, when I can see my son, I give him the money he needs."
He added, "I did not want to bring up this story from the beginning. And I hope there will never be a situation where I have to discuss such matters publicly again. My son is far more important to me than winning an argument," concluding, "Every matter has two sides. I believe that if God permits it, the truth will eventually come to light."
Netizens who read the post reacted with comments such as "You must have felt wronged," "Since you remarried, live well now," and "I support you." However, some netizens offered critical views, stating things like "Doesn't that mean you gave less money after the period you mentioned?" and "Anyway, it seems he just wants to complain about his own grievances while only paying 850,000 won per month now."
Eli and Ji Eun-soo overcame an 11-year age gap to register their marriage in 2014 and have a son in 2016. The couple divorced in 2020 and appeared on the TV Chosun program "We Got Divorced," which aired in 2022, but did not reconcile.
Recently, Ji Eun-soo drew attention by revealing her daily life of raising her son alone while working part-time at a beef bone soup restaurant and appearing on home shopping channels through her YouTube channel. Eli announced his remarriage last June.
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