Actor Hwang Jung-eum says she has not met ex Kim Yong-jun since split, would like to
In short
Actor Hwang Jung-eum said in a YouTube video released on 21 October that she has never run into her former partner Kim Yong-jun of SG Wannabe since they broke up, adding that she would like to see him. She called him a friend with many good memories. The two dated publicly for nine years from 2006 and split in 2015.
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Actor Hwang Jung-eum said she has never run into her former partner Kim Yong-jun of the group SG Wannabe since they broke up, and that she would like to see him. She made the remarks on 21 October in a video on her YouTube channel "Hwang Jung-eum", titled "Day of Being Showered With Questions From the Hwanggeumideul (황금이들에게 질문 세례 받는 날)", in which she answered questions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
Asked whether she had met Kim by chance after they parted, Hwang replied that she had not once, and added that she would like to see him a little too. According to Newsis, Dong-A Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun, when the production staff said the two had spent their prettiest and youngest time together, she gave a faint smile as if lost in memories. She then said Kim is a friend with many good memories, the kind of friend she could greet warmly if they met on the street. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
Newsis, Dong-A Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun reported that Hwang and Kim dated publicly for nine years from 2006 and were known as a long-lasting couple in the entertainment world. They appeared as a real couple on the MBC entertainment programme "We Got Married (우리 결혼했어요)" in 2009 and broke up in 2015. Maeil Business and Korea Economic Daily also give 2006 as the start of the public relationship and 2015 as the breakup. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
Maeil Business and Korea Economic Daily reported that Hwang was also asked which time she would return to if she could turn back the clock. She chose 2015, before her marriage, saying it was a bright period for her as an actress and many people were seeking her out. She added that if it meant not meeting her sons Wangsik and Gangsik, she would choose them, saying they are very pretty. [ 4 , 6 ]
Maeil Business and Seoul Shinmun reported that Hwang married businessman Lee Young-don in 2016 and has two sons. Maeil Business said the marriage ended in 2024, while Seoul Shinmun said she divorced in May of last year. A later Chosun Ilbo item from OSEN described the video as her first Q&A video and said she told a woman considering marriage not to marry, but the available text is cut off. [ 4 , 7 , 8 ]
Why it matters
The coverage is entertainment news based on one YouTube Q&A video. The documents report no consequences beyond the actor's own remarks.
Key facts
- Hwang Jung-eum answered fan questions in a video on her YouTube channel "Hwang Jung-eum" on 21 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- Asked whether she had met Kim Yong-jun by chance since they parted, she said she had not once, and that she would like to see him too. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- She described Kim as a friend with many good memories, someone she could greet warmly if they met on the street. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- Hwang and Kim dated publicly from 2006 for nine years and split in 2015. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- Asked which time she would return to, Hwang chose 2015, before her marriage, as a bright period for her as an actress, but said she would choose her sons if returning meant not meeting them. [ 4 , 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- In the 21 October video Hwang said she had never met Kim Yong-jun by chance since their breakup and that she would like to see him. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- Hwang said Kim is a friend with many good memories whom she could greet warmly if they passed on the street. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- Hwang and Kim began a public relationship in 2006 and broke up in 2015. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- Hwang married businessman Lee Young-don in 2016 and has two sons with him. [ 4 , 7 ]
Still unclear
- When Hwang's divorce took place. One outlet says her marriage ended in 2024, while another says she divorced in May of last year; the documents do not reconcile the two.
- What else Hwang said in the video, including advice to a woman considering marriage. Only one outlet's truncated summary says she told a commenter weighing marriage not to marry; its full text is not available.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsis published its report on Hwang's remarks about Kim Yong-jun. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo published an OSEN report on the video. [ 2 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo published its report. [ 3 ]
- Maeil Business published its report, which also covered Hwang's answers on returning to 2015 and her sons. [ 4 ]
- Korea Economic Daily published its report. [ 6 ]
- Seoul Shinmun published its report. [ 7 ]
- On 22 October Chosun Ilbo published a further OSEN item on the video. [ 8 ]