Divorcing singer reappears after 8-year hiatus
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Na Hoon-a at Yeoju branch of the Suwon District Court on April 26 / Screen capture from YouTube
By Ko Dong-hwan
Trot legend Na Hoon-a made a rare public appearance in divorce court after eight years of avoiding the media.
The singer, 69, wearing a black suit and sunglasses, visited the Yeoju branch of the Suwon District Court in Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday. He remained silent as he entered the court surrounded by journalists.
Na attended the court to settle the division of his assets as part of a divorce suit that was filed by his wife, Jung Soo-kyeong, 55, in October 2014. She attended the court proceedings as well.
Na left the court after two hours. The couple will meet again in early June for their next mediation.
Na talks during a press conference at Grand Hilton Seoul in 2008. / Korea Times
Jung previously filed for divorce in 2011. She had claimed that Na cheated on her with other women and did not send her money to support her livelihood while they were separated. In 2013, the court had refused to approve the divorce, stating it was hard to see that the couple's relationship had deteriorated so much as to warrant a breakup.
Na’s last appearance in public was in 2008 when he held a press conference to address a rumor he’d been castrated by a Japanese gang member for his infidelity. In front of reporters, he prepared to pull down his pants to disprove the allegation but was stopped. A year before, he had canceled his exclusive concert to be held in Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.
Na debuted as a singer in 1966 and dominated the nation’s entertainment industry throughout the 1970s with his rival, Nam Jin. He has been married three times; his second wife was the famous actress Kim Ji-mi, with whom he was married from 1976 to 1982. He married Jung the following year.