Park Bo Gum turns 32: From Song Joong Ki to cult controversy, rare times the Good Boy got dragged into controversies
While many of his peers, like Kim Soo Hyun and Song Joong Ki, despite massive global popularity, saw it all crumble due to controversies that exploded while they were riding high on success, Bo Gum's controversies, rare but loaded enough to cause real damage, somehow stayed off the radar.
Also read: Park Bo Gum made a request to Kim So Hyun years ago: 'Remember this when the time comes'; the story behind Good Boy casting
Back in 2016-17, Park Bo Gum faced immense public scrutiny because of his ties to a church that many in Korea call a 'cult.' It all started with a Twitter post where the actor invited his followers to attend a prayer event, organised by the church called the Jesus Centred Church. However, as soon as the post went viral, the internet blew up.
Bo Gum has always been open about being a Christian, and since childhood, he's been tied to a particular church. Reportedly, the head pastor of that church is the one who gave him his name, which means 'precious sword.' Bo Gum once even said his ideal girlfriend would be someone who shares his religion. But things took a turn the moment the church's name came out. Based in Seoul, it pulls in massive crowds. On the surface, it presents itself as a Christian church, but the Korean Presbyterian Church officially calls it a cult. According to them, its teachings are extreme. They claim illnesses are caused by the devil, and the pastor says he can heal people, performing exorcisms, curing blindness, deafness, and many accuse the church of brainwashing its followers.
Also Read | Amid Kim Soo Hyun backlash, a look at 7 Korean actors who bounced back from controversies
Later, Bo Gum's father tried to calm the situation but ended up making things worse for the actor. In a letter, defending both his son and the church, he revealed that his wife was thought to be infertile at first. She had no idea when she became pregnant and accidentally took some medicines. They even tried to abort, but it failed, and that's how Park Bo Gum was born. Once he was born, he fell sick, looking like a 'corpse.' Doctors nearly gave up, and that's when the pastor told them to leave the hospital and bring Bo Gum to church. After a bit of hesitation, Bo Gum's father took him to the church and, followed by hymns, instructions, and prayers, Bo Gum then miraculously recovered, excreted black waste, and was healthy within a week. The actor faced heavy scrutiny for pushing and encouraging faith over medical treatment.
There was a time when Song Joong Ki and Park Bo Gum were South Korea's golden duo, but their friendship fizzled out soon. They did ads together, shared emotional moments during award shows, and always spoke highly of each other. Fans absolutely loved their bond. Both were signed to the same entertainment agency at the time, with Song being his senior and guiding him in his early career. At the 2016 KBS Drama Awards, Bo Gum won the award for Moonlight Drawn by Clouds and thanked Song Joong Ki. In return, the actor praised him and recalled the tough time he endured — the video went viral. Their behind-the-scenes moments from ads where the duo goofed around led fans to dub them BFFs. But things took a turn for the worse after 2018 when Encounter aired.
In the K-drama, Bo Gum starred alongside Song Hye Kyo. Song, at the time, was married to Song Joong Ki after falling in love with him on the set of Descendants of the Sun that came out in 2016. The duo were hailed as South Korea's power couple, with fans nicknaming them the Song-Song couple. But their wedding was short-lived and ended on a very messy note, with Song Hye Kyo claiming she got to know about Joong Ki filing for divorce through the media. After the drama, fans noticed Joong Ki and Bo Gum weren't seen together anymore. At times, fans speculated if the distance was because of Bo Gum's involvement with Song's wife. Then in 2019, Joong Ki and Hye Kyo announced their divorce. Rumours were rife that Bo Gum had played a part in this. Bo Gum's agency, Blossom Entertainment, immediately shut down those rumors, calling them 'absolutely not true' and 'offensive,' and even threatened to take legal action. But after this whole thing, Joong Ki and Bo Gum haven't been seen together publicly. And fans have been missing their friendship ever since.
Park Bo Gum has from time to time been caught up in dating controversies as well. This includes his Love in the Moonlight co-star Kim Yoo Jung. He was also linked to Jang Na Ra, with whom there were even rumors about a wedding. Red Velvet's Irene and Suzy are also few names on the list. As of now, the actor is not publicly dating anyone.
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