Comedian Kim Young-chul denies 'lifelong bachelor' allegations, says last relationship was 13 years ago

Comedian Kim Young-chul, 52, said his last relationship ended 13 years ago.

Kim appeared Tuesday on a video uploaded to the YouTube channel Rolling Thunder, joining fellow comedians Lee Kyung-sil, Jo Hye-ryun and Lee Seon-min for a wide-ranging conversation. The video was titled "Real talk! Kyung-sil sets up a blind date call for bachelor Young-chul — results revealed."

During the discussion, Jo Hye-ryun questioned whether Kim had ever dated anyone, saying, "Young-chul, have you ever been in a relationship? I've never seen you with anyone" — suggesting he may have been single his entire life.

When Kim replied that he had, Lee Kyung-sil and Jo Hye-ryun expressed disbelief and pressed him for details, asking how long the relationship lasted and when it had ended.

"The last time I dated someone was 12 years ago," Kim said. "We were together for about nine months. She wasn't a celebrity. She was pretty."

The relationship, however, hit an unexpected snag. "It ended up in the news," Kim said. "A story about some top star broke on Jan. 1. Then mine came out the very next day, Jan. 2." He said the coverage put too much pressure on his partner. "It's not like I was some huge star, but once it got reported, I was a little hurt by it. I tried to reassure her, but by then we had already drifted apart."

Although Kim said "12 years ago," the incident is believed to have taken place in 2013 — 13 years back. On Jan. 1, 2013, news broke of a romance between actor Kim Tae-hee and singer Rain, and the following day reports emerged that Kim Young-chul was dating a company employee two years his junior.

Kim has been asked on several past occasions by fellow entertainers and fans whether he had ever been in a relationship at all. He has consistently denied the allegations, citing the 2013 relationship and saying he had even considered marriage at the time.