Kim’s response to the debt collector who had been bugging him to pay for his father’s debt
November 22, 2025
Kim’s response to the debt collector who had been bugging him to pay for his father’s debt
34 comments
Is he apologizing for telling off the guy bothering him over something his dad did?
can we get a better translation from someone who knows korean? i am a little confused by what is happening here and i think some of it is the shitty ai translator
Did HSkim get backlash from fans in korea? Cus i feel like he shouldn’t be responsible for his fathers mess or business
He shouldn’t have to apologize for anything. The dude stalking him is a weirdo creep
Korean here. It seems there’s probably some translation issues but I can understand the gist of what Hyeseong is trying to say.
It seems Hyeseongs dad does indeed have some issues with debt. His statements come off very Korean where our culture does put pressure on children to share shame for the “sins of their father” so to speak. HSK probably has feeling of shame and it’s probably towards both Mr Kim and his own dad. The statement also seems to imply his father caused trouble for a lot more people than Mr Kim.
Also it sounds like HSK did try to pay his father’s debt but Mr Kim declined to receive it from him.
“Why is HSK apologizing for something his dad did?” It’s Korean culture. In Korean culture, an act performed by a member of the family causes others to judge the entire family. If HSK tells Mr Kim to fuck off or anything, that makes HSKs family look bad (dad owes debt, son thinks theyre too good to pay). Mr Kim can even reasonably not want to take money from HSK, the son, because now that makes him lose face and look like a scummy guy who hounded a baseball super star for money.
This dude sounds like he knows the guy that owes him money has a famous son and he’s grifting for attention at this point. H.S. shouldn’t feel any responsibility and if the guy doesn’t wanna take money, he’s clearly enjoying the attention it gets
Does he need a bodyguard? Ohtani will make me look small and therefore less intimidating, but I’m cheap 😂
What did he do at the airport?
How stressful for all concerned :(.
Honestly feel bad for Kim as he has been continously apologizing for even breathing at this point
Also I think the reason he posted a statement now was because a Korean show, “sbs curious story y” aired an episode about his father’s debt yesterday. I haven’t watched but read an article and seems like the father and Mr. Kim met up and he promised to pay back 50 million won by December 20th.
So let me get this straight, he doesn’t want the kids to suffer the sins of the father, yet he shows up at the kids place of business. Isn’t he doing just that?
Can you get a restraining order in Korea?
Asian culture of children should carry parents’ debts.
Those korean netizens are crazy and they don’t care who is wrong and who is right
Can Kim just stay in LA pls? We got a huge k-town and Korean community here. He can spend off season in Atlanta, New York and Honolulu.
He’s a celeb, a sport star and a beefcake, enjoy life in the state and make some tabloid headlines with dating life here. As an Asian American, I’d appreciate it. Forget it with that Confucian social pressure bs. Isn’t making it in the big league hard enough already?
We need to send some dodgers fans with tear drop tattoos who actually earned them to help out our boy.
Better translation (i’m korean, but let chatgpt do the heavy lifting):
“First of all, I bow my head and sincerely apologize to everyone who was disappointed by my careless words and actions at the airport on November 6, and by the attitude I showed in the interviews that followed. There is no excuse for how I behaved at that time, and I continue to regret it and reflect on it. Above all, I want to once again apologize to Mr. Kim, who was present on site, to the reporters who were there to cover the story, and to everyone who witnessed the scene.
The reason I remained silent for more than two weeks was because I believed that quietly taking time to reflect was the sincerest way to show my remorse. However, I have come to realize that my silence could be seen as refusing to acknowledge my wrongdoing or trying to avoid responsibility.
The person who protested at the airport that day had been coming to my school since I was in high school, and from 2018 onward, continued to hold signs and banners at stadiums and airports over a long period of time. When I first met him in person in 2019 at Incheon Munhak Baseball Stadium, I even told him, “I will repay the debt.” But he said he was not trying to receive money from me as a player, but rather to make my father aware of the situation, and he declined my offer. After that, he continued to hold public protests. I always felt deeply sorry, worrying that he might cause trouble for my teammates and for the fans who came to the stadium.
All this time, out of a sense of family responsibility, I have done everything I could financially as a son—including using my signing bonus and salary—to try to help, even if only a little, the person who suffered harm because of my father’s debt.
When returning home for the first time in a year, I should have greeted everyone with a good attitude. But in that moment, I failed to control my emotions and acted in a way I never should have. There is no excuse. I am deeply reflecting on my actions. I will take this incident as an opportunity to become a better person. To everyone who continues to watch over me and support me despite my shortcomings, I offer my heartfelt gratitude.”
As an Asian myself, this is where it gets ugly in many Eastern culture. The emphasis on family relation is real, and for better or worse.
When I was in college, I knew of a senior who like charity works and has a good character. Unfortunately, his dad borrowed millions of $$ from people in the community. His dad had a big project in the business going, and he thought it will pay huge dividend. It turned out to be his own demise. He sank in many $$ into it, eventually he went to his close friends and started asking for money with tears.
Turn out, the project was a failure. He never was able to return the millions he borrowed. From that moment on, nobody look at his son in the same light. The adults were telling the kids to be careful, he might befriend you to get to your money. Every time his son was mentioned in a conversation, it was always followed with “Has his dad paid off the debt yet?”
I know it’s unfair, but it’s just the way it is. If you lost a hard-earned $1 mil to his close buddy, it’d be hard not to hold grudge against the whole family, including wife and children, knowing that they benefited from your demise.
He needs to gtfo out of Korea to get away from that stalker and away from those haters. What kind of bum ass idiot continues to harass someone but also refuses to take the money? Bro’s just a stalker for no reason.
How is someone going to reject being paid a debt? Clearly that debt isn’t a big deal. He’s getting more out of tormenting HSK. Don’t apologize HSK!!!!
This reminds me of a stalker I had when I was in school. He was from South Korea, too. I did not have any debt though.
I get the situation, but what exactly happened at the airport?
Hello. I’d like to ask someone from Korea about this.
In Korea, is there no law that restricts this kind of stalker-like behavior?
I can understand that if there is a certain level of debt, contacting a workplace as part of debt collection may be allowed.
However, Kim Hae-seon does not personally owe any debt, and in a video I saw earlier, she seemed to be subjected to persistent stalking behavior.
I work in the legal field in Japan, and if this were Japan, once the police were consulted, they would at least give the creditor a soft warning or caution.
I used to think of this as just another quirky Korean episode, but seeing that Kim Hae-seon is seriously troubled by it now is quite unfortunate.
Pay me back my money!
Okay, I’ll pay for my father
No no, I don’t want your money. I just want to stalk you and show up at your games telling your dad to give me back my money.
Absolutely ridiculous.
It’s pretty sad to think Kim put on these muscles to fend off his dad’s debt collector.
Squid game vibes
Someone was saying it seems like his agency made him apologize.
i just really hope that he only did this to calm down the korean hate mobs but knows that his actual fans love and support him and can see through this foolish situation that has nothing to do with him
혜성이화이팅~
Yea, I read all the Korean netizen’s comments on HSK’s press conference…and I just couldn’t understand it, even tho I am a Korean-American who currently lives in Korea, speak fluent Korean, and married to a Korean… there is definitely a toxic aspect to the internet culture that attacks celebrities. Confucian background is a part of it, but there is also a moral judgement/holier than thou complex aspect to it.
The fuck is this drama bullshit. He should just stay in LA if fuckers like these keep buggin our boy
No one sides with HSK’s family – everyone in Korea is on Mr. Kim’s side. HSK’s father didn’t just borrow money from Mr. Kim; he borrowed from many people and eventually filed for bankruptcy so he wouldn’t have to repay the debts.
Later, HSK gave his father around $100K to help settle the debts, but his father didn’t use it for repayment. Instead, he used the money to open a new business. At the time, HSK didn’t know this- he probably believed that Mr. Kim refused the money, completely unaware that his father had diverted it and never paid back a cent. I’m pretty sure he knows now, since it’s all over the news.
That’s when Mr. Kim became even more upset and decided to take the matter public. What he did is actually quite common in Korea- there was simply no other way for him to get his money back.
With legal interest, the amount owed has now grown to nearly $400K. I think Mr.Kim has got $100k back so far.
Time to learn English, buddy. Move to LA full time
[Apparently HSK’s dad will finally pay off his debt soon](https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2025/11/22/JLNSNKHLFNC3POR4UGPYRMC3BU/). I don’t know how reputable the source is but I hope this is true. I hate how HSK has been hounded by everyone. Some Article I saw earlier said this “Mr. Kim” even became a fan favorite to Korean fans. Hope this is dealt with once and for all.
Imagine getting stalked by someone cause of something your dad did when you were a kid and nothing you do makes it go away. Insanity.
34 comments
Is he apologizing for telling off the guy bothering him over something his dad did?
can we get a better translation from someone who knows korean? i am a little confused by what is happening here and i think some of it is the shitty ai translator
Did HSkim get backlash from fans in korea? Cus i feel like he shouldn’t be responsible for his fathers mess or business
He shouldn’t have to apologize for anything. The dude stalking him is a weirdo creep
Korean here. It seems there’s probably some translation issues but I can understand the gist of what Hyeseong is trying to say.
It seems Hyeseongs dad does indeed have some issues with debt. His statements come off very Korean where our culture does put pressure on children to share shame for the “sins of their father” so to speak. HSK probably has feeling of shame and it’s probably towards both Mr Kim and his own dad. The statement also seems to imply his father caused trouble for a lot more people than Mr Kim.
Also it sounds like HSK did try to pay his father’s debt but Mr Kim declined to receive it from him.
“Why is HSK apologizing for something his dad did?” It’s Korean culture. In Korean culture, an act performed by a member of the family causes others to judge the entire family. If HSK tells Mr Kim to fuck off or anything, that makes HSKs family look bad (dad owes debt, son thinks theyre too good to pay). Mr Kim can even reasonably not want to take money from HSK, the son, because now that makes him lose face and look like a scummy guy who hounded a baseball super star for money.
This dude sounds like he knows the guy that owes him money has a famous son and he’s grifting for attention at this point. H.S. shouldn’t feel any responsibility and if the guy doesn’t wanna take money, he’s clearly enjoying the attention it gets
Does he need a bodyguard? Ohtani will make me look small and therefore less intimidating, but I’m cheap 😂
What did he do at the airport?
How stressful for all concerned :(.
Honestly feel bad for Kim as he has been continously apologizing for even breathing at this point
Also I think the reason he posted a statement now was because a Korean show, “sbs curious story y” aired an episode about his father’s debt yesterday. I haven’t watched but read an article and seems like the father and Mr. Kim met up and he promised to pay back 50 million won by December 20th.
So let me get this straight, he doesn’t want the kids to suffer the sins of the father, yet he shows up at the kids place of business. Isn’t he doing just that?
Can you get a restraining order in Korea?
Asian culture of children should carry parents’ debts.
Those korean netizens are crazy and they don’t care who is wrong and who is right
Can Kim just stay in LA pls? We got a huge k-town and Korean community here. He can spend off season in Atlanta, New York and Honolulu.
He’s a celeb, a sport star and a beefcake, enjoy life in the state and make some tabloid headlines with dating life here. As an Asian American, I’d appreciate it. Forget it with that Confucian social pressure bs. Isn’t making it in the big league hard enough already?
We need to send some dodgers fans with tear drop tattoos who actually earned them to help out our boy.
Better translation (i’m korean, but let chatgpt do the heavy lifting):
“First of all, I bow my head and sincerely apologize to everyone who was disappointed by my careless words and actions at the airport on November 6, and by the attitude I showed in the interviews that followed. There is no excuse for how I behaved at that time, and I continue to regret it and reflect on it. Above all, I want to once again apologize to Mr. Kim, who was present on site, to the reporters who were there to cover the story, and to everyone who witnessed the scene.
The reason I remained silent for more than two weeks was because I believed that quietly taking time to reflect was the sincerest way to show my remorse. However, I have come to realize that my silence could be seen as refusing to acknowledge my wrongdoing or trying to avoid responsibility.
The person who protested at the airport that day had been coming to my school since I was in high school, and from 2018 onward, continued to hold signs and banners at stadiums and airports over a long period of time. When I first met him in person in 2019 at Incheon Munhak Baseball Stadium, I even told him, “I will repay the debt.” But he said he was not trying to receive money from me as a player, but rather to make my father aware of the situation, and he declined my offer. After that, he continued to hold public protests. I always felt deeply sorry, worrying that he might cause trouble for my teammates and for the fans who came to the stadium.
All this time, out of a sense of family responsibility, I have done everything I could financially as a son—including using my signing bonus and salary—to try to help, even if only a little, the person who suffered harm because of my father’s debt.
When returning home for the first time in a year, I should have greeted everyone with a good attitude. But in that moment, I failed to control my emotions and acted in a way I never should have. There is no excuse. I am deeply reflecting on my actions. I will take this incident as an opportunity to become a better person. To everyone who continues to watch over me and support me despite my shortcomings, I offer my heartfelt gratitude.”
As an Asian myself, this is where it gets ugly in many Eastern culture. The emphasis on family relation is real, and for better or worse.
When I was in college, I knew of a senior who like charity works and has a good character. Unfortunately, his dad borrowed millions of $$ from people in the community. His dad had a big project in the business going, and he thought it will pay huge dividend. It turned out to be his own demise. He sank in many $$ into it, eventually he went to his close friends and started asking for money with tears.
Turn out, the project was a failure. He never was able to return the millions he borrowed. From that moment on, nobody look at his son in the same light. The adults were telling the kids to be careful, he might befriend you to get to your money. Every time his son was mentioned in a conversation, it was always followed with “Has his dad paid off the debt yet?”
I know it’s unfair, but it’s just the way it is. If you lost a hard-earned $1 mil to his close buddy, it’d be hard not to hold grudge against the whole family, including wife and children, knowing that they benefited from your demise.
He needs to gtfo out of Korea to get away from that stalker and away from those haters. What kind of bum ass idiot continues to harass someone but also refuses to take the money? Bro’s just a stalker for no reason.
How is someone going to reject being paid a debt? Clearly that debt isn’t a big deal. He’s getting more out of tormenting HSK. Don’t apologize HSK!!!!
This reminds me of a stalker I had when I was in school. He was from South Korea, too. I did not have any debt though.
I get the situation, but what exactly happened at the airport?
Hello. I’d like to ask someone from Korea about this.
In Korea, is there no law that restricts this kind of stalker-like behavior?
I can understand that if there is a certain level of debt, contacting a workplace as part of debt collection may be allowed.
However, Kim Hae-seon does not personally owe any debt, and in a video I saw earlier, she seemed to be subjected to persistent stalking behavior.
I work in the legal field in Japan, and if this were Japan, once the police were consulted, they would at least give the creditor a soft warning or caution.
I used to think of this as just another quirky Korean episode, but seeing that Kim Hae-seon is seriously troubled by it now is quite unfortunate.
Pay me back my money!
Okay, I’ll pay for my father
No no, I don’t want your money. I just want to stalk you and show up at your games telling your dad to give me back my money.
Absolutely ridiculous.
It’s pretty sad to think Kim put on these muscles to fend off his dad’s debt collector.
Squid game vibes
Someone was saying it seems like his agency made him apologize.
i just really hope that he only did this to calm down the korean hate mobs but knows that his actual fans love and support him and can see through this foolish situation that has nothing to do with him
혜성이화이팅~
Yea, I read all the Korean netizen’s comments on HSK’s press conference…and I just couldn’t understand it, even tho I am a Korean-American who currently lives in Korea, speak fluent Korean, and married to a Korean… there is definitely a toxic aspect to the internet culture that attacks celebrities. Confucian background is a part of it, but there is also a moral judgement/holier than thou complex aspect to it.
The fuck is this drama bullshit. He should just stay in LA if fuckers like these keep buggin our boy
No one sides with HSK’s family – everyone in Korea is on Mr. Kim’s side. HSK’s father didn’t just borrow money from Mr. Kim; he borrowed from many people and eventually filed for bankruptcy so he wouldn’t have to repay the debts.
Later, HSK gave his father around $100K to help settle the debts, but his father didn’t use it for repayment. Instead, he used the money to open a new business. At the time, HSK didn’t know this- he probably believed that Mr. Kim refused the money, completely unaware that his father had diverted it and never paid back a cent. I’m pretty sure he knows now, since it’s all over the news.
That’s when Mr. Kim became even more upset and decided to take the matter public. What he did is actually quite common in Korea- there was simply no other way for him to get his money back.
With legal interest, the amount owed has now grown to nearly $400K. I think Mr.Kim has got $100k back so far.
Time to learn English, buddy. Move to LA full time
[Apparently HSK’s dad will finally pay off his debt soon](https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2025/11/22/JLNSNKHLFNC3POR4UGPYRMC3BU/). I don’t know how reputable the source is but I hope this is true. I hate how HSK has been hounded by everyone. Some Article I saw earlier said this “Mr. Kim” even became a fan favorite to Korean fans. Hope this is dealt with once and for all.
Imagine getting stalked by someone cause of something your dad did when you were a kid and nothing you do makes it go away. Insanity.