Celebrities hesitate to go public with divorces in Korea despite changing views

Son Jung-eun shares news of her divorce on KBS Joy’s “Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller." Courtesy of KBS Joy

More Korean celebrities are speaking openly about their divorces, but many still wait years before making their breakups public. Even as social perceptions around divorce have changed, stars remain cautious for a variety of personal and professional reasons.

Singer Park Ki-young recently made headlines for revealing her second divorce — years after it happened. She first married a lawyer in 2010 but divorced in 2015. In 2017, she married a tango dancer and choreographer she met on KBS2’s “Immortal Songs,” but the couple separated in 2022. The news was only shared three years later.

Lee Won-seok, lead vocalist of Daybreak, also delayed his announcement. He married a non-celebrity in 2011 but divorced in 2021. It wasn’t until April 2023 that he posted on his blog, saying, “In 2021, I experienced two major goodbyes and found myself alone again.”

Former MBC presenter Son Jung-eun disclosed her divorce on KBS Joy’s “Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller” in January. She said, “There were big changes in my life. My father passed away six years ago, and being an only child, it was very difficult. The following year, I separated from my husband.” She had previously announced her marriage to a businessman in 2011.

Public attitudes toward divorce have significantly shifted. Celebrities who are divorcees now speak more openly about their experiences on television. Actor Hwang Jung-eum addressed her divorce on SBS Plus and E Channel’s dating reality show “Because I’m Solo.” SBS’s “Dolsing Fourmen” centers on divorced male celebrities like Lee Sang-min and Lim Won-hee. MBN’s “Love After Divorce" featured broadcaster Park Chang-hyun and Redsox member Noh Jung-myung, garnering attention.

Divorce is no longer seen as a major blemish for stars. After Son’s appearance on “Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller,” public support poured in. TV personality Seo Jang-hoon said, “Most people didn’t know she had divorced, so she received more messages after the show than she did when she became an anchor.”

Comedian Lee Soo-geun added, “After the show aired, she was flooded with casting requests for various programs and has been busy with meetings and interviews.”

Lee Won-seok announces his divorce nearly three years after the fact. Captured from Lee's social media

Despite the changes, many celebrities still wait years before going public. Pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun said there are still risks involved. “Celebrities are more free to talk about divorce now, but once it’s revealed, online sleuths start speculating about who was at fault. That can lead to scandals or invasions of privacy,” he said. “Also, if the couple appeared on reality shows portraying a happy marriage, people may feel they were deceived.”

A publicist for a recently divorced star offered a similar perspective.

“The media and public will ask a lot of questions about the reasons for the divorce. If those reasons are hard to share, or the star isn’t prepared to answer, they may delay the announcement,” the publicist said. “Other factors include concern for the former spouse, emotional stress, or a belief that it’s a private matter that doesn’t need to be shared.”

For celebrities with children, protecting them from online comments is also a consideration. Although divorce is no longer taboo in Korea, it still takes considerable courage for stars to make it public.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.