K-pop legends, singer-actor Kim Jae-joong announced he has become a grandfather. The 40-year-old shared the joyful family news during the May 15 episode of KBS2’s variety show Super Chef’s Restaurant (Shin Sang Chul Si Pyeonstorang).
While cooking a nourishing jjamppong samgyetang (spicy ginseng chicken soup) for close friends Choi Jin-hyuk, Yoon Si-yoon, and Yoo Seon-ho at his family home, Kim casually revealed the update during a chat with his mother. “My nephew had a band my first grandchild,” he said, adding with a mix of surprise and delight, “I finally became a grandfather. It feels really strange.”
The announcement marks a milestone: Kim is believed to be the first K-pop idol to earn the title of grandfather, earning him affectionate fan nicknames like “Halbae-dol” (Grandpa Idol) and “the world’s youngest and most handsome grandfather.”
Photo | Kim Jae Joong
Kim first teased the news about a year ago on the same show when he shared that his nephew’s wife was pregnant. He had also opened up earlier this year on Superman Is Back, describing the surreal feeling of his nephew who is actually four years younger than him starting a family. “When that child starts talking and calls me grandfather… the feeling is going to be weird,” he had reflected.
The update brings his already impressive family tree to a new level. Coming from a large household with nine siblings, the family now spans four generations and totals 34 members, as noted by MC Boom on the show. Fans flooded social media with congratulations, praising the “epic 34-person family scale” and celebrating Kim’s joyful transition into this new role while continuing his active career in music and acting.
This story resonates as a reminder that life milestones don’t follow a strict timeline especially in the fast-paced world of K-entertainment. Congratulations to Kim Jae-joong and his growing family on this new chapter.
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