[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] On November 24th, the internet became abuzz when it was revealed that Jung Woo-sung was the biological father of Moon Ga-bi's recently born son.

 

The perception of illegitimate children is changing in Korean society, as Japanese national and broadcaster Sayuri has decided to become a "voluntary single mother" by giving birth through sperm donation. Along with pros and cons such as "the birth of a new family," "a modified polyandry system," "a rite of passage to becoming an advanced country," "a solution to the low birth rate problem(?)," and "a full-fledged signal flare for a change in the concept of family," the debate on non-marital birth and illegitimate children is also heating up.

 

What exactly is an extramarital affair and how many extramarital affairs are there in Korea? We looked into the incidents and accidents that caused a stir due to the issue of extramarital affairs.

 

An illegitimate child is a child born between a man and a woman who are not legally married. In simpler terms, it is a child born between a man and a woman who have not registered their marriage. A child born to a married couple who have not registered their marriage is also an illegitimate child. In order to be legally recognized as a couple, they must register their marriage.

 

The Chinese characters for “child outside of marriage” are 婚 (marriage), 外 (outside), and 子 (child). If we translate the Chinese characters directly, it means a child born outside of marriage. In other words, 

A child born during marriage is called a biological child, and a child born outside of marriage is called an illegitimate child.

 

In general, it is often the case that a child is born due to an extramarital affair, but it can also be born out of wedlock if it is born out of common-law marriage or an invalid marriage.

 

The number of children born out of wedlock exceeded 10,000 for the first time in 2023. According to the '2023 Birth Statistics' released by Statistics Korea in August, the number of children born out of wedlock last year was 10,900. This is the highest number since related statistics were compiled in 1981, and is equivalent to 4.7% of the total 230,000 births. This means that one out of every 20 births is born out of wedlock.

 

Although the number of births is decreasing, the number of children born out of wedlock has been increasing for the past three years: 7,700 in 2021, 9,800 in 2022, and 19,000 in 2023.

 

In our society, which has valued Confucian traditions, marriage and childbirth have been essential courses, like a link. Reflecting this, the percentage of births outside of marriage has remained in the low 0-2% range since statistics were first compiled in 1981. Then, it rose to 2.2% in 2018, 2.5% in 2020, 2.9% in 2021, 3.9% in 2022, and exceeded 4% last year.

 

The rate of extramarital births and the social perception of it vary greatly from country to country. In Korea, it is a conservative country with a record high of over 4%, but in Europe, many countries have a rate of extramarital births of up to half.

 

As of 2021, the birth rate in France out of wedlock is about 63%, meaning that more than half of newborns are born out of wedlock. In France, a social atmosphere is created that recognizes and supports various family forms. Regardless of marital status, childbirth and childrearing are socially accepted, and legal and institutional support are also provided, so there is no concept or discussion of out of wedlock.

 

Sweden's out-of-wedlock birth rate is about 54.5%, meaning more than half of all newborns are born outside of marriage. Sweden also socially recognizes various family forms, such as cohabitation, and has little negative views on out-of-wedlock births. The country guarantees equal rights to all children. The out-of-wedlock birth rate in the UK is about 48.4%, and in the US, it is about 39.6%, showing a high rate of out-of-wedlock births.

 

In the past, illegitimate children were discriminated against in matters such as inheritance, but in modern times, legal rights are guaranteed equally. In Korea, too, social perceptions of illegitimate children are gradually improving, and the atmosphere of accepting them as one form of various family forms is expanding.

 

Even recent statistics targeting the younger generation show that the formula of “marriage is meaningful, and having children through marriage” is breaking down. According to the “2024 Social Survey” by Statistics Korea, 42.8% of people aged 20 to 29 this year answered that “you can have children without getting married.” Compared to 30.3% who answered positively in 2014, this is a 12.5% ​​point increase in 10 years.

 

We looked into which domestic celebrities had children out of wedlock. The issue of having children out of wedlock has been a frequent issue among celebrities, politicians, high-ranking public officials, and even conglomerates.

 

First, we can mention actor Kim Yong-gun, the father of movie actor Ha Jung-woo. Actor Kim Yong-gun surprised everyone with the news of an illegitimate child in March 2021 at the age of 70. Kim Yong-gun got married in 1977 and had actors Ha Jung-woo and Kim Young-hoon, but divorced in 1996.

 

Kim Hyun-joong, a former member of the idol group SS501, announced his marriage to his first love in 2022 and welcomed a son in October of that year. However, it was revealed that he had already had his first son out of wedlock with his ex-girlfriend in 2015, causing quite a stir in the world.

 

Former announcer Lim Taek-geun, who was famous as the 'first generation representative announcer', was famous for his complicated family relationships during his lifetime. Singer Lim Jae-beom and actor Son Ji-chang are the illegitimate children of former announcer Lim Taek-geun, and the two are half-brothers. In Son Ji-chang's case, his last name became Son, following the last name of his maternal uncle who raised him.

 

Former President Kim Young-sam, a symbol of democracy, also had an illegitimate child. Former President Kim Young-sam never acknowledged his existence, but his illegitimate child, Kim Sang-man (born 1959), filed a lawsuit for recognition of his child, and was legally recognized as his biological child through a ruling by the Seoul Family Court in 2011. 

Former Prosecutor General Cha Dong-wook, who was appointed as the 39th Prosecutor General in 2013, also resigned in disgrace in September of the same year amid controversy over an extramarital affair.

 

In 2013, it was revealed to the world that writer Lee Oisoo had an illegitimate child. This was when his biological mother, Ms. Oh, filed a paternity and child support lawsuit against Lee Oisoo at the Chuncheon District Court. Lee Oisoo and Jeon Yeongja separated after 44 years of marriage in late 2018 and declared their separation.

 

Even among conglomerates and business owners, incidents involving extramarital affairs have often emerged as social issues.

 

In December 2015, SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won publicly admitted to having an extramarital child through a letter to a media outlet and announced his intention to divorce his wife, Noh So-young, director of the Nabi Art Center. This incident caused a huge stir in the business community and society, and has since led to a divorce lawsuit and property division, with the lawsuit currently in progress.

 

KCC Glass Chairman Chung Mong-ik, a member of the Hyundai Group, also filed a huge divorce suit worth 110 billion won with his wife Choi Eun-jung due to issues with his mistress and extramarital child. Chairman Chung is the second son of the late Honorary Chairman of KCC Jeong Sang-yeong, and his wife Choi is the maternal niece of the late Honorary Chairman of Lotte Shin Kyuk-ho. It was revealed that Chairman Chung married another woman 16 years younger than him and had a child with her, causing a huge social stir.

 

There was also a case where Lee Jae-hwi, the illegitimate child of the late Lee Maeng-hee, former honorary chairman of CJ Group, filed a lawsuit against the eldest son of the late honorary chairman, Lee Jae-hyun, chairman of CJ Group, and his wife, Son Bok-nam, demanding his share of the inheritance, but lost the case. Former honorary chairman Lee Maeng-hee, the eldest son of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul, had Lee in 1964 with an actress, Park.

 

However, at that time, he did not register his name on the family register. In 2004, after studying abroad and settling down in Korea and running a business, he filed a paternity suit against the former honorary chairman, and after a genetic test, he was confirmed to be the father in 2006.

 

Chairman Seo Jung-jin of Celltrion Group was embroiled in controversy over his private life after it was revealed that he had two more daughters on his family register, in addition to his eldest son, Chairman Seo Jin-seok, and second son, Director Seo Jung-soo. The two illegitimate children filed a lawsuit for recognition of paternity at the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon Family Court in 2021, and in November of the same year, the two illegitimate children were registered as legal daughters through mediation. It was reported that the biological mother of the two daughters had been in a common-law relationship with Chairman Seo, who had a family at the time, in 2001.

 

The issue of an extramarital child was also raised between former Kookmin Ilbo Chairman Cho Hee-joon and former MBC announcer Cha Young (former Presidential Secretary for Culture and Tourism and spokesperson for the Democratic Party). Former Chairman Cho is the eldest son of former pastor Cho Yong-gi of the Yoido Full Gospel Church.

 

In August 2013, Ms. Cha filed a paternity and child support lawsuit against Mr. Cho, claiming, “I first met Mr. Cho at a dinner at the Blue House in March 2001 and started dating him. After my divorce, I lived with him until August 2002, when I gave birth to a son in Hawaii, USA. Mr. Cho strongly urged me to divorce my ex-husband and gave birth to my son, but in January 2004, he unilaterally cut off contact and did not keep his promise to marry me.”

 

In the case of Taekwang Group, Lee Yu-jin, who was confirmed to be the biological son of the late founder Lee Im-yong, filed a lawsuit demanding the return of his father's share of the assets held in another person's name, and engaged in a legal battle with his half-brother, former chairman Lee Ho-jin. After a paternity test lawsuit, Lee was recognized as the biological son of the late founder Lee.

 

In addition, the name of Lee Tae-hwi, the illegitimate child of the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Byung-chul and a Japanese woman, was mentioned in the Samsung family's inheritance lawsuit. In 2004, Kolon Group had a legal battle with Lee Dong-goo, who claimed to be the illegitimate child of the late founder Lee Won-man, after he filed an inheritance lawsuit.

 

In 2023, Jeon Cheong-jo, who was known as the second marriage partner of Nam Hyun-hee, a former national fencing team member, was also involved in a fraud case in which he lied about being the illegitimate child of Paradise Group Chairman Jeon Philip and defrauded victims of hundreds of millions of won. Paradise Group said, “This is clearly false information,” and suffered damages such as damage to its corporate image. Paradise Group, which operates tourism service businesses such as casinos and hotels, has been led by Chairman Jeon Philip, the eldest son of its founder, Chairman Jeon Nak-won, since his death in 2004.

 

In 2017, Wang Jin-jin (real name Jeon Jun-ju), who approached pop artist Nancy Lang, also committed fraud by pretending to be an illegitimate child of Paradise Group. In 2003, actor Kim Sang-joong announced his marriage to a woman pretending to be the daughter of the chairman of Paradise Group, but the engagement was called off.

 

An industry insider said, "Illegitimate children are a common issue in chaebol families, and the existence of illegitimate children has often been revealed during trials for tax evasion, embezzlement, breach of trust, and inheritance." He added, "This is a good example of the influence that the private lives of chaebol families have on corporate management and social image, and there is a growing trend of legal and moral discussions related to this."

 

Celebrities overseas include Elon Musk and Steve Jobs.

 

Musk is highlighted as the top contributor to Trump's election as the 47th president, and his actions are becoming a hot topic every day, but he also has many personal issues. Musk has a total of 12 children. Musk had six children with his first wife, Justine Wilson (2000-2008), including Nevada, Griffin, Vivienne, Kai, Saxon, and Damian. However, Nevada died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) after 10 weeks. 

 

He later married British actress Talulah Riley (2010–2012, 2013–2016), but they have no children. He later had a brief relationship with American actress Amber Heard, and has three children with Canadian singer Grimes out of wedlock: X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideril, and Techno Mechanicus.

 

Also, she gave birth to Azure and Strider through in vitro fertilization with current Neuralink executive Seavon Gillis, who is from OpenAI, in 2021. This birth marks her 12th child. She currently has 11 surviving children. 

 

Apple co-founder, the late Steve Jobs, also had an extramarital affair with Lisa Brennan Jobs when he was 23, and later admitted to the relationship and developed it into something more intimate. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who became an actor and politician, had an extramarital affair with his housekeeper while he was governor of California. Also, film director Woody Allen had an extramarital affair with Mia Farrow.

 

American politician John Edwards suffered a fatal blow to his political career when the existence of an extramarital affair was revealed during his presidential campaign.

 

World-famous soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo also has four children from out of wedlock. His lover Georgina Rodriguez is not legally married to Ronaldo. Georgina, who is in a common-law relationship, is raising Ronaldo's three children from out of wedlock and her own daughter.

 

“Before I met Ronaldo, I was living in a warehouse in Madrid for £250 a month. In the summer it was hot enough to bake bread, and in the winter it was freezing. I couldn’t afford to pay for heating and cooling,” said Georgina. “The day I met Ronaldo my life changed.” At the time, Georgina was working as an ordinary employee at a luxury goods store earning £10 an hour. Ronaldo attended a VIP event at the store where Georgina worked in 2016 and the two fell in love at first sight.

 

'The Emperor of Football' Pele has been married three times and has seven children. He also has many children from outside marriage.