“Culinary Class Wars” Star Chef’s Intense Reaction To His Daughter’s Boyfriend, Revealed By The Boyfriend Himself

On October 29, 2024 (KST), it was revealed that Choi Yeonsoo—best known for her appearance as a contestant on the show PRODUCE 48—is dating Kim Taehyun, the vocalist of the Korean rock band DICKPUNKS, who is 12 years older than her.

Following the news, Kim Taehyun guested on SBS radio’s Cultwo Show, where he talked about his soon-to-be father-in-law, Culinary Class Wars star chef Choi Hyun Seok, and the chef’s intense reaction to the dating news.

According to the segment, Kim Taehyun met Choi Hyun Seok when the chef went to see a DICKPUNKS show. There, the chef mentioned that his daughter was a huge fan of Kim Jaeheung, the band bassist. Kim Taehyun added that, since then, he had been seeing Choi Yeonsoo from time to time—and, before he knew it, their relationship had developed into a romantic one.

Kim Tae Kyun (Host): So you’ve known her since she was young?

Kim Taehyun: Yes, it was actually Chef Choi Hyun Seok who came to see one of our shows. He told me that his daughter was a huge fan. So I knew about her. Then, some time passed. After that, I ran into her here and there. And, well, here we are…

Host: She got your heart, huh? So, it turns out she was a DICKPUNKS fan, and she liked Kim Taehyun even before—

Kim Taehyun: Actually, she wasn’t my fan. She was into Kim Jaeheung, our bassist.

Host: Oh! She was Kim Jaeheung’s fan?

Kim Taehyun: Yeah. She started off as Kim Jaeheung’s fan. Once we started dating, I introduced her to him. He was like, “Oh darn, I totally blew my chance.”

Host: Who made the first move, then?

Kim Taehyun: Things happened pretty naturally between us, but I did ask her out first.

Host: And you two have been together for 3 years?

Kim Taehyun: Around 3-4 years.

As for the chef, Kim Taehyun joked that Choi Hyun Seok regretted not getting rid of Kim when they first met.

After I met him a decade ago, I had not seen him again… Until recently when I had to see him for… you know, what happened between me and his daughter. When we met again, he was like, ‘I knew I should’ve killed you back then.’ [Laughs]

— Kim Taehyun

Though it’s given that Choi Hyun Seok obviously did not intend to kill Kim Taehyun, the chef’s reaction is now going viral across online communities as “understandable,” considering the age gap between his daughter and the future son-in-law.

• “He asked her out first? LOL…”
• “…”
• “Oh… Haha. I would’ve said the same, lol.”
• “I was like, isn’t the chef’s daughter pretty young? Turns out they’re 12 years apart.”
• “The age gap, though. Ugh…”
• “Wow… Yeah, I find Choi Hyun Seok’s reaction relatable.”
• “I would’ve said the same.”
• “It’s understandable why Choi Hyun Seok reacted that way. I feel bad for any couple with big age gaps. Like, women on average live 7 years longer than men.”
• “Yeah, well, that is totally understandable.”

Watch the full segment here: