SEOUL – South Korean actress Hwang Jung-eum posted an official apology for her earlier Instagram post about a woman she wrongfully accused of having an affair with her now-estranged husband.
“There has been a misunderstanding. The individual is unrelated to the incident and has never met my husband, and she is not an adulterous woman,” Hwang wrote on her Instagram page on April 4.
“I sincerely apologise for inflicting harm on the person and those around her for posting about her,” she wrote, adding that she has apologised to the woman in person.
Hwang, 39, is going through a divorce with South Korean former professional golfer Lee Young-don, her husband of eight years.
While she alleged that he had an affair, he has remained silent on the issue.
Her agency Yi Entertainment did not disclose the reason for the divorce, citing privacy concerns.
On April 3, Hwang posted on her Instagram a screengrab of a woman’s Instagram post about her trip to Bangkok with a person named Lee Young-don.
In the caption, Hwang wrote: “Ugly girl, please marry Young-don. Young-don, who ran away from home, please divorce me before you go to Thailand.”
But the Lee Young-don mentioned by the woman turned out to be the nickname of her friend. The victim later told a South Korean media outlet that she would consider taking legal action against Hwang if the actress did not issue a public apology.
Although Hwang deleted the post, the woman’s photo and real name had been made public, and her Instagram page was the target of malicious comments by Hwang’s fans.
Hwang debuted in 2002 as a member of the K-pop girl group Sugar, but found greater success in acting after quitting the group in 2004.
Her big break as an actress came in the sitcom High Kick Through The Roof (2009 to 2010). She went on to headline drama series such as Secret Love (2013), Kill Me, Heal Me (2015) and She Was Pretty (2015).
Hwang and Lee tied the knot in 2016 and welcomed their first son in 2017.
She filed for divorce in September 2020, but the couple reconciled in July 2021. Hwang gave birth to their second son in 2022.
She is now starring in the revenge drama series The Escape Of The Seven: Resurrection, which is streaming on Viu. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
