Kim Jang-hoon’s Heartwarming Journey: How a Singer Became a Father to a Special Daughter

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[MyDaily = Reporter Kim Ha-young] Singer Kim Jang-hoon shared a moving story about how his inability to say no led him to become a father figure to a young girl.

On the 14th, Kim appeared on MBN’s talk show Sokpuli Show Dongchimi and explained that his habit of not turning people down eventually resulted in him having a daughter in his life.

He referenced a past headline that read, “Kim Jang-hoon has a hidden daughter,” and clarified the context. “She isn’t my biological daughter, but there was a story like that,” he said.

Kim said he had been invited to an event at a facility for people with severe disabilities. He usually only visits organizations he supports regularly, so at first he tried to decline.

After repeated requests, he went to the event with kimchi and a donation. There he learned about a two-month-old infant in urgent need of help. “I heard someone say, ‘This little one should die,'” he recalled, adding that the baby faced a life-threatening condition without surgery.

At first, Kim tried to pretend he hadn’t heard, thinking, “I can’t save everyone.” But he couldn’t walk away. He told his driver to stop the car, cursed, then turned back and headed to the facility.

In the end, Kim agreed to cover roughly 50 million KRW (approximately $37,500) in surgical costs. He asked the hospital to allow him to put the bill on credit, acknowledging it might have seemed unreasonable but saying, “I’m Kim Jang-hoon — won’t I pay?” and pleading with them to save the child.

The hospital reduced the fee as a courtesy, and the operation was successful. “After the surgery the child came to me and hugged me. She was six months old then,” Kim recalled, describing the emotional moment.

He has kept in touch with the girl since. “She’s now 17 and calls me ‘Dad,'” he said, expressing his deep affection.

Kim said, “I asked Eun-hye (my daughter), ‘Do you think Dad will come again?’ and she said, ‘Yes.’ I don’t want to raise her expectations and then hurt her, so I tell her I won’t come and visit randomly instead.” He added, “If I have one dream, it’s to walk my daughter down the aisle when she gets married.”

The episode also showed the girl performing a New Year’s bow (sebae) to Kim. Singer Noh Sa-yeon praised him, saying, “You’ve stored up a lot of merit in heaven.”