TV personality Hong Jin-kyung ends 22-year marriage
TV personality and YouTuber Hong Jin-kyung / Courtesy of Netflix
Model-turned-TV personality Hong Jin-kyung has finalized her divorce after 22 years of marriage, her agency confirmed on Aug. 6.
An official from her agency TNN Entertainment told the Hankook Ilbo that "Hong recently ended her marriage with her husband," a businessman five years her senior. Though they are now legally divorced, the two are said to remain in contact.
Hong also broke her silence about her recent divorce, sharing personal reflections during an interview on comedian Jung Sun-hee’s YouTube channel on Wednesday.
In the video, Hong said her daughter is still close with her father, adding, “What’s bittersweet is that we only truly found friendship after becoming strangers.”
Jung recalled learning of the divorce months earlier. “I remember you saying, ‘I got divorced,’ and that you hadn’t told anyone else. I was sweating alone with the secret,” she said.
Hong admitted she had long struggled with how and when to share the news. “I kept thinking, ‘Should I be saying this? Can I just let it quietly pass?’ It felt like I was hiding something, and I carried that burden,” she said. “If I were to talk about it at all, I knew it had to be in front of you, Sun-hee. I can be honest with you.”
She emphasized that no one was at fault for the separation. “It wasn’t because either of us did something wrong. It was more like, ‘Let’s try living differently.’ Ironically, after separating and becoming strangers, we developed a real friendship,” she said.
Recalling their earlier relationship, she said, “He was someone I liked even beyond being a boyfriend. And now, he’s a really good oppa (elder male friend) to me.” She added that he still visits her home often, and both families remain close. “My mom and mother-in-law turned out to be way cooler than I thought — it’s like Hollywood. They still get together for meals.”
Hong married in 2003 and gave birth to their daughter in 2010.
After debuting as a model in 1993, she built a diverse career in television, business, and digital media. In addition to her frequent variety show appearances, Hong is also known for her kimchi brand and her ongoing efforts to connect with fans through her YouTube channel.
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.