Jung Sun-hee reveals why she didn't report her late husband Ahn Jae-hwan as missing
Comedian and show host Jung Sun-hee opens up about her late husband, Ahn Jae-hwan, and the pain she experienced during that time. Captured from YouTube
Comedian Jung Sun-hee opened up about her late husband, Ahn Jae-hwan, and the pain she endured during that time.
Jung appeared on a YouTube channel Monday and recalled the time when Ahn went missing. The late actor was found dead in his car in 2008 at the age of 36. At that time, Jung had been married for just 10 months when she lost her husband.
Jung reflected on that period, saying, "At that time, my husband was going through severe depression due to financial issues. I didn't realize how much it was eating away at him because I was too busy with work. Then, 10 months after our wedding, I heard he had taken his own life, and I couldn't believe it. My first reaction was denial. It didn't make sense."
She continued, "I didn't file a missing person's report because I thought he would obviously come back. There had been tension between us because of money issues, and I thought, 'Did he misunderstand that I wouldn't lend him money even if I had it? Is he doing this to get back at me?' I had these petty thoughts."
Explaining why she didn't report him missing, Jung said, "I didn't do it because I was worried about the impact on his image as a celebrity. I only had a light-hearted thought like, 'He's running a business, so I should keep it under wraps; I'll deal with him when he comes back.'"
She continued, "I never imagined he would (take his own life). I felt guilty. I started to review every action of mine, wondering where things went wrong that led him to make such a choice. After 10 months of marriage, we should have been deeply in love. While dealing with the mixed emotions of longing and grief, the public wanted someone to crucify, and that was me."
After Ahn's death became known, Jung found herself at the center of numerous rumors. "There were false reports saying we were both kidnapped, and I was the only one released after paying money. It was chaos, worse than today, without any ethical boundaries," she said.
"Even those who knew the situation seemed to look at me with suspicion. I had to go through experiences that felt more like being treated as a perpetrator than just being a witness."
Jung also shared that she felt pressured during police investigations, saying, "I felt like I was deprived of the chance to mourn. I had no rights as a bereaved family member and had to explain things to his family."
Following Ahn's death, a police investigation revealed that he had a significant amount of debt.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.