Hong Seok-cheon says he paid palimony to American ex-partner after 4-year live-in relationship

Broadcaster Hong Seok-cheon has opened up about a surprising chapter in his romantic past.

Hong appeared on the YouTube channel Annyeonghansamyo on Friday, drawing attention with his remark that he is "always in a relationship" despite being single.

When the show's producers asked whether he was truly unattached, Hong said, "I'm always dating. I am single, but I'm always in a relationship. As I get older, it seems like my relationships last longer."

When a producer noted that long relationships tend to get complicated once finances and living arrangements become intertwined, Hong agreed. "That's right. I've been through all of that," he said, and went on to share candid details about his past live-in relationships with foreign partners.

Hong said his first partner was Dutch. "We lived together for three and a half years. But when we broke up and he was moving out, he had made a list of everything he had brought and went through it all to take it back," he recalled.

He then revealed that his second partner was American. "We lived together for four years, and when we broke up, he asked for palimony — compensation for the four years we had spent living together," Hong said, surprising everyone present.

Hong confirmed he had actually paid the money. "I gave him something at the time. He was someone I had loved, and I gave it out of gratitude for being by my side when things were hard," he said. He added that the ex-partner later moved into a "jeonse" apartment in Nonhyeon-dong with a new man — someone Hong himself knew.

Hong made history in 2000 as the first South Korean celebrity to come out as gay. He remains active across a wide range of fields, including broadcasting, business ventures and YouTube.