Similar to the dramas, Uhm Tae-woong’s personal life is also filled with some interesting stories. When he was a baby, his father died in an accident and left him with his mother and three older sisters living with some financial issues. His sister Uhm Jung-hwa decided to enter the entertainment industry and was followed by him. On November 4, 2012, Uhm Tae-woong revealed that he was engaged to the pretty ballerina Yoon Hye-jin, and they were expecting their first child. In 2016, Uhm Tae-woong was involved in a sexual assault scandal with a woman around 30. Are you curious about how it went and his wife’s reaction? Check it out!
Sexual Assault Scandal
In July 2016, a woman came to Bundang Police Station to file a complaint regarding Uhm Tae-woong sexually assaulting her earlier in January at a massage parlor in the city of Seongnam, south of Seoul. The woman was known as Ms. Kwon and aged around 30. At the time she complained, she was in court custody for fraud. However, after the investigation, police concluded that Uhm Tae-woong didn’t assault her but did solicit prostitution. He was fined by prosecutors for 1 million won (approximately $880). The accuser ensnared herself as she was found guilty of making a false accusation. Ms. Kwon was sentenced to two years and six months in prison as well as assigned to complete a 40-hour program about sexual violence. Reported from Soompi, the judge Oh Taek-won said, “Although the defendant is claiming that there was no specific offer or consent for the three instances of sexual intercourse [between her and Uhm Tae-woong], sexual intercourse between a man and a woman involves an extremely private and implied agreement. In the audio recordings submitted as evidence, there is no assault nor are there threats; there is simply intermittent conversation and laughter. Moreover, there was no refusal when Uhm Tae-woong booked the defendant by name. Considering these facts, the court acknowledges that the sex was consensual and that the accusations of sexual assault were false.” Judge Oh Taek-won continued to explain about Ms. Kwon’s case, “The defendant, because she came to know and have sexual relations with a famous celebrity, gathered evidence of sexual relations, demanded money, and then falsely accused. This was in order to resolve economic difficulties that came about from a previous court battle for fraud. Not only did the defendant inflict psychological stress and immense damage on a celebrity’s image, she consistently made excuses and did not show an ounce of regret for her actions.” The owner of the massage parlor was also charged alongside Ms. Kwon for prostitution, blackmail, and secret filming. The investigation revealed that the massage parlor owner and Ms. Kwon cooperated to set up a vehicle black box inside the business to record what happened, and later they used the footage to demand 150 million won (approximately $132,000) from Uhm Tae-woong. The owner was sentenced to two years in prison, five-year probation, a fine of 16 million won (approximately $14,100), completion of a 40-hour program on sexual violence, and 80 hours of community service.
Uhm Tae-woong’s Wife’s Reaction
As Uhm Tae-woong was involved in a sensitive scandal, people must be curious about how his wife reacted. As soon as the news blew up, Yoon Hye-jin made her Instagram account private. Reported from Ilgan Sports, Yoon Hae-jin indirectly expressed her sadness over a phone interview, “I won’t talk on the phone now. I don’t have anything to say.” It was also reported that her voice during the phone interview was shaky and seemingly on the verge of tears.
Aftermath
Although he was found not guilty for sexual assault but for solicited prostitution, this embarrassing scandal made Uhm Tae-woong’s life quite different as his image which he built for years, broke in moments. Well, let’s hope Uhm Tae-woong and his family can live happily now and move on from that bitter past. Fighting!
