KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 — Famous South Korean actor Kim Seon-ho openly acknowledged to coercing his ex-girlfriend into having an abortion.

According to The Korea Times, Kim apologised in a statement on Wednesday about his personal life controversy through his agency, Salt Entertainment.

It was the first time he has publicly commented on the matter after a woman claiming to be his ex-girlfriend said he pressured her to undergo an abortion while they were dating.

“I had dated her with affection, but I hurt her due to my carelessness and inconsiderate conduct.

“I should have apologised to her in person.

 “Nevertheless, I want to give an apology sincerely through this written statement,” he said in a statement released through his management agency Salt Entertainment. 

The woman who claimed to be Kim's ex-girlfriend identified him as 'actor K’ three days ago. 

However, when the post went viral on the internet, many people assumed it was a reference to Kim, who is most known for his role in the tvN romantic comedy drama, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.

In the statement, he also asked for forgiveness for his late public apology.

“I'm sorry that I disappointed fans who have supported me constantly.

“I want to apologise to my colleagues who have worked with me," he said

Following the controversy, the Two Days One Night producers on Korean Broadcast System (KBS) announced that the actor will quit the popular reality show, which he has been a part of since 2019.

“We've decided to remove Kim.

 “We will cut out takes of him from upcoming shows as much as possible to minimise the discomfort of our viewers,” they said.

Kim is likely to withdraw from his next film projects, including the romantic comedy 2 O'Clock Date, which is currently in the pre-production phase while retailers have also removed ads featuring the actor since the allegations became public.

Adding to that, Domino's Pizza Korea has withdrawn Kim’s ads and photographs from its web pages and social media accounts, while a local e-commerce business, 11Street, has removed postings and photos of him.