South Korean comedian Kim Byung Man has divorced his wife of 12 years. It has been reported that Kim, 48, has been living apart from his ex-wife since they separated a few months ago, and their divorce lawsuit has been settled.
In regards to this report, Kim’s agency, Sky Turtle, stated on Nov. 22 to News 1 that “Kim Byung Man finalized his divorce suit with his wife this year.” His agency also told YTN, “Although they went through the lawsuit, they have ended it well and remain supportive of each other.”
Kim and his ex-wife, who is seven years older than him, tied the knot in 2011. In addition, he attracted the attention of the public when it was revealed that his wife had a daughter from a previous marriage.
In the wake of the news going viral, the comedian held an interview where he addressed various speculations regarding his divorce in light of the announcement. Kim stated, “It’s difficult to mention divorce specifically” during a recent interview with SPOTV News.
During the interview, he expressed his frustration, saying, “After my mother passed away last May, there were many comments like, ‘He’s not doing any broadcasts anymore.’ Naturally, I couldn’t be enthusiastic about broadcasting.”
He continued, “The reason I reduced my appearances on TV shows was also because it was difficult for me to stand on stage. I couldn’t talk about it in detail, so I couldn’t participate in variety shows either. It doesn’t make sense for someone whose profession is a broadcaster to say they dislike entertaining and chatting on TV.” He added, “With various thoughts on my mind, I ended up stepping away from the main scene.”
Kim currently operates an amusement park in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. The park is filled with handcrafted wooden toys and play equipment that Kim personally carved and crafted himself throughout the course of the park.
“When I carve wood, time flies without me noticing. I am someone who tends to think a lot, but when I carve wood, many worries disappear,” Kim said. “I spent three years in the mountains of Yangju. I looked for things like wood and land because I like them. In the future, I also want to create a children’s forest.” He then stated, “I don’t have much else to say. I will live my life diligently.”