Yulhee "Husband Demanded Divorce First, It Was Like Hell... Gave Up Custody for the Children"

Yulhee "Choi Min-hwan Asked for Divorce First"
"Gave Up Custody for Children's Financial Well-being"
"Don't Resent Choi Min-hwan... Hope Things Work Out Well"

Yulhee, formerly of the group Laboum, is seen shedding tears while talking about her children.
[Photo by TV Chosun]

Yulhee (real name Kim Yulhee, 27), a former member of the girl group Laboum, opened up about the reasons for giving up custody of her three children and the process of her divorce. Yulhee was married to FT Island’s Choi Minhwan (32) and had three children, but they divorced last year.

On the 22nd, Yulhee appeared on TV Chosun’s “Now Alone” and said, “I didn’t feel the (divorce) crisis. That’s why it was so sudden,” adding, “From the moment I realized it, it was a hell just for me.”

According to Yulhee, the topic of divorce was first brought up by her ex-husband Choi Minhwan. She said, “I didn’t bring up the (divorce) topic. When the word ‘divorce’ seriously approached my life, at first I thought, ‘Let’s overcome this.’ Because of the children. But by then, both of us had already become deeply entrenched. We thought this decision (divorce) was right for each other.”

Regarding the criticism from netizens about her giving up custody of the three children at the time of the divorce, she tearfully said, “I was really worried about the children’s situation. It wasn’t about whether to raise them or not, but I was really concerned about the wounds these children would suffer. Which parent wouldn’t want to see their own flesh and blood? That decision was the hardest. It was beyond words to describe how hard it was.”

Yulhee, formerly of the group Laboum, is seen shedding tears while talking about her children.
[Photo by TV Chosun]

However, Yulhee said she gave up custody because she wanted to protect the children’s economic conditions. She said, “Economically and realistically, the conditions were better on the father’s (Choi Minhwan’s) side.” She added, “Before leaving the house, I cried while taking pictures of the children. I kept worrying until then,” and broke down, saying, “I feel like I can’t live without the children, so is this the right choice?”

Regarding her ex-husband Choi Minhwan, Yulhee confessed, “When we decided to divorce, I thought we should wash away all hatred. So if there are issues about the children, we communicate comfortably. From what I think, Choi Minhwan has also washed away the hatred between us. That’s why we can contact each other well. I don’t even hate him anymore. Rather, I hope things go well for him.”

Yulhee married Choi Minhwan in 2018 and they had one son and two daughters. The couple appeared on KBS2’s variety show “The Men Who Do Housework Season 2” (also known as “Salimnam 2”), sharing their happy daily life and receiving great love from viewers, but they parted ways last year. After the divorce, Choi Minhwan has been showing himself taking care of the three children alone on KBS 2TV’s “The Return of Superman.” Yulhee is currently active as an influencer on social media after the divorce.