Actress Hwang Jung-eum says she has no income and sold gold from her sons' birthdays
In short
Actress Hwang Jung-eum said in a YouTube video released on 21 October that her current income is zero. She said she sold the gold her two sons received at their first-birthday parties and cashed in insurance to live on.
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Actress Hwang Jung-eum said her current income is nothing and that she has sold the gold her two sons received at their first-birthday parties. She made the remarks in a video on her YouTube channel '황정음', released on 21 October under the title '황금이들에게 질문 세례 받는 날'. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
According to Chosun Ilbo and Korea Economic Daily, a subscriber asked where her income comes from while she is taking a break from acting. She answered that it is 0 won. She said it was the first time since she was 26 that she had not earned money, and that she found this very disorienting and frightening. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
She said she had sold everything that could bring money. In her words, she sold the gold received at the first-birthday parties of her sons Wangsik (왕식) and Gangsik (강식). Chosun Ilbo and Korea Economic Daily described this as the sons' first-birthday rings in their headlines. She added that cancelling insurance also brought in a lot of money, and that she is getting by on it. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo reported that she has been off screen since the drama '7인의 부활', which aired in 2024. They also said she married a businessman and former professional golfer, Lee Young-don (이영돈), in 2016, had two sons, and announced the end of the marriage in 2024. [ 1 , 2 ]
Asked how she stays cheerful, she said that was a personal choice and that fortune comes with laughter. She advised viewers to look for what they can do even in the worst situation, according to Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The documents give no basis for wider consequences. Four Korean business outlets reported her remarks about her finances during a break from acting.
Key facts
- Hwang Jung-eum said on her YouTube channel '황정음' that her income is currently 0 won. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The video, titled '황금이들에게 질문 세례 받는 날', was released on 21 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- She said she had sold the gold given at the first-birthday parties of her sons Wangsik (왕식) and Gangsik (강식). [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- She said she also cancelled insurance and received a lot of money from it. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- She said it was the first time since she was 26 that she had not earned money, and that this was disorienting and frightening. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo said she has been on a break from acting since the 2024 drama '7인의 부활'. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Hwang Jung-eum said her current income is 0 won. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- She said she sold the gold received at her two sons' first-birthday parties and cancelled insurance, and is getting by on the proceeds. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- She said she had not gone without earning money since she was 26 and found it disorienting and frightening. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Whose insurance she cancelled. The Korea Economic Daily headline refers to the sons' insurance, but its article and the other outlets quote her only as saying she cancelled 'insurance'.
- Whether the gold was rings. The Chosun Ilbo and Korea Economic Daily headlines call it first-birthday rings, while Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo say only 'gold'.