Even as social attitudes evolve, many of South Korea’s biggest stars are choosing to keep their marital break-ups under wraps – sometimes for years – before finally sharing the news with fans.
On the surface, it may seem puzzling. Divorce is no longer the career-ending taboo it once was, and public support for divorced celebrities is on the rise.
Yet time and again, famous figures from K-pop idols to drama actors have revealed after the fact that they quietly ended their marriages long before the public ever suspected.
This trend of delayed divorce announcements sheds light on the complex interplay between personal privacy, public image, and shifting cultural norms in modern Korean society.
The trend of delayed divorce revelations
Several high-profile cases have recently brought attention to this phenomenon. Singer Park Ki-young, for example, shocked fans in early 2025 when she revealed that she had divorced her second husband – not weeks or months prior, but three years earlier. Park had married a tango dancer in 2017, only to separate in 2022; yet she waited until 2025 to confirm the split publicly. Her earlier marriage to a lawyer in 2010 had also quietly ended in 2015, indicating that secrecy around such news was a pattern for her.
She’s far from alone. Lee Won-seok, lead vocalist of the band Daybreak, admitted in a personal blog post in April 2023 that he and his wife had actually divorced back in 2021.
“It’s a separation that marks the end of our shared journey, a decision to pursue divergent paths. The profound sense of loss, insurmountable by any means, is a struggle to confront and overcome,” he wrote, alluding to his breakup without fans realizing it had happened two years prior.
Likewise, former TV presenter Son Jung-eun only disclosed her divorce in a televised interview in January 2025, despite having separated from her husband several years before. She described enduring a difficult period privately: “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”. Son had married her businessman husband in 2011, but by the late 2010s their relationship had ended – a fact she kept to herself until that candid TV moment.
These are just a few recent instances. In 2024, fans were stunned to learn that Woo Ji-won, a former basketball star-turned-TV personality, had quietly ended his 17-year marriage way back in 2019. The divorce, which he and his wife mutually agreed upon, only came to light five years later when media reports exposed the long-concluded split.
Even the K-pop realm has examples: Lee Hye-bin – known to K-pop fans as Bini, a former member of girl group Nine Muses – revealed in 2024 that she and her husband (a professional football player) had divorced around 2019, after keeping it private for about five years. She opened up on her personal YouTube channel, saying “Marriage and divorce are choices I think I’ve done really well in my life… Divorce is also my responsibility for the choice,” expressing that she felt at peace with the decision she had made years earlier.
It’s clear that the “belated divorce announcement” has become a recurring theme in Korean entertainment. In each case, the celebrity opted to delay going public until long after the legal paperwork was finalized and their personal lives had moved on. Understanding why requires looking at both individual motivations and the broader societal backdrop.
Why keep it secret? Balancing image and privacy
Why would a celebrity choose to hide such a significant life event for so long? The reasons are both personal and professional.
On the personal front, divorce is an emotional upheaval. Stars may need time to heal, to ensure the well-being of any children involved, or simply to adjust to their new life out of the public eye. Sharing the news too soon might feel overwhelming or premature.
Television personality Kim Na-young, who initially kept her divorce private, later confessed, “Honestly, I wanted to hide… But I mustered up courage because I have to take responsibility for my children and overcome [challenges]”.
Many celebrities likely resonate with that sentiment – the instinct to process pain in private before opening up to millions of viewers.
On the professional side, image management is paramount in South Korea’s entertainment industry. Celebrities are often expected to project an idealized image – happy family life included – especially if they built a reputation as a wholesome or romantic figure. A divorce, even if amicable, can complicate that image. Some stars fear that admitting to marital troubles might lead to public speculation about their character or competence.
“Celebrities are more free to talk about divorce now, but once it’s revealed, online sleuths start speculating who was at fault,” explains pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun. No one wants to see their private heartbreak turned into a witch-hunt by gossip forums and tabloids. By delaying the announcement, stars may hope to minimize the frenzy – announcing when the dust has settled, rather than in the heat of a breakup when emotions (and rumors) might run wild.
There’s also the practical side of career and contracts. Some entertainers may have ongoing projects, endorsements, or TV dramas and worry that news of a divorce could overshadow their work or violate unwritten norms.
In the past, even a hint of personal “scandal” – a term often applied broadly in Korean media – could result in CF (commercial film) deals being dropped or a star being edited out of shows.
Although divorce isn’t the taboo it once was, older attitudes linger in some corners, and agencies often strategize the timing of sensitive announcements. Waiting until a more favorable moment (for example, during a career lull or after a show has finished airing) can be a calculated move to protect the celebrity’s professional standing.
In short, many stars delay disclosure to regain control of the narrative. By the time they do speak up, they can frame the story on their own terms – as Park Ki-young and Lee Won-seok did through carefully worded statements – rather than have a messy public drama play out in real time.
Changing views on marriage and divorce in Korea
Underpinning these individual choices is a significant shift in Korean cultural attitudes toward marriage and divorce.
Not long ago, divorce was deeply stigmatised – a near-unmentionable topic that could tarnish reputations. “In the past, divorce was such a social taboo that it was hardly even mentioned,” notes cultural critic Ha Jae-keun.
This was rooted in traditional Confucian values that emphasized family unity, lifelong marriage, and “saving face” by keeping domestic troubles private. For decades, many in Korea felt that a broken marriage implied personal failure. Older generations often urged couples to endure hardships for the sake of children or family honor.
Indeed, a divorced woman in particular could face harsh judgment, being unfairly seen as a “fallen” figure. Not surprisingly, celebrities of earlier eras went to great lengths to hide divorces entirely – for instance, iconic singer Seo Taiji and actress Lee Ji-ah managed to keep their marriage and 2006 divorce secret for years, with the public only finding out through a legal dispute in 2011.
Today, however, South Korea’s view of divorce is evolving rapidly. As Ha Jae-keun observes, “Nowadays, more people tend to prioritize the pursuit of an individual’s happiness over old customs”. The general public has grown more understanding of the fact that not all marriages work out, and that ending an unhappy union can be a healthy decision.
This is reflected in rising divorce rates and changing demographics. South Korea once had one of the lowest divorce rates in the world, but by 2019 it ranked 9th among OECD countries (and the highest in East Asia) for divorce frequency. Roughly one in three Korean marriages now ends in divorce, according to some estimates.
With divorce becoming more common across society, the stigma has gradually lessened. Many Koreans, especially younger people in their 20s and 30s, view divorce not as a shameful failure but as an unfortunate reality – even a potentially empowering choice – in cases where a marriage cannot be saved.
Entertainment content is mirroring this shift. Television, once hesitant to even mention divorce, is now openly featuring divorced individuals in a positive light. Reality shows and talk shows about life after divorce have become surprise hits. SBS’s Dolsing Fourmen (literally “Four Divorced Men”) puts divorced male celebrities in the spotlight, including comedian Lee Sang-min and basketball legend Seo Jang-hoon, and lets them candidly chat about dating and everyday life.
MBN’s dating show Dolsingles brings together divorced men and women looking for a second chance at love, and it treats the subject with a matter-of-fact tone: “We haven’t done anything wrong… Enduring [a marriage] can’t solve everything. I have nothing to be ashamed of,” one participant flatly states on camera.
Even single-parenthood after divorce is being normalized through programs like Brave Solo Parenting: I Raise, which follow celebrities (like actress Jo Yoon-hee and comedian Kim Hyun-sook) as they navigate raising kids on their own. As the show’s director Park Sun-hye put it, “Divorce is a personal choice, and I wanted to show that prejudices [regarding divorce] are simply prejudices”.
All of this would have been almost unthinkable on mainstream TV a generation ago. Now, divorced stars can even be seen as relatable role models who overcame difficult choices to find stability and happiness. This sea change in public perception means that, in theory, celebrities have less to fear in revealing a divorce. Many fans are not only accepting but outright supportive when a beloved star opens up about such personal struggles.
The burden of image and societal pressure in K-Entertainment
If society is more accepting, why do stars still feel pressure to delay their announcements? The answer lies in the unique societal and industry pressures that Korean celebrities face.
In South Korea’s celebrity culture, the expectations placed on public figures are extraordinarily high. Idols and actors aren’t just performers; they’re seen as aspirational figures who should embody success, respectability, and the dreams of their fans.
This dynamic creates a constant tension between one’s authentic personal life and the cultivated public persona.
Marriage and divorce fall right into that tension. When a popular actress or idol gets married, it’s often big news – sometimes met with fan heartbreak (for those who fantasized about their single idol) or, conversely, with adoration if the couple is beloved.
But a divorce announcement doesn’t fit neatly into the fairy-tale narrative that entertainment PR machines prefer to promote. There’s no way to spin a divorce as a feel-good story; at best it can be framed as a mature, mutual decision. At worst, it invites scandalous speculation.
Image management thus dictates that such news be handled with extreme care. Entertainment agencies and PR teams will often advise their talents to “hold off” on public statements until a strategy is in place – whether that means waiting for a slow news cycle, drafting a carefully worded letter to fans, or coordinating with endorsement clients to ensure no sponsorship fallout.
In some cases, the stars didn’t intend to reveal the divorce at all, but were prompted when rumors started circulating or a media outlet got wind of it.
Societal pressure is not just about career, though – it’s also deeply personal. South Korea remains a collectively oriented society in many ways. Celebrities often consider how their actions reflect on their families, their in-laws, or their children. A star might delay announcing a divorce out of consideration for an elderly parent’s feelings or a former spouse’s privacy.
We saw hints of this with Son Jung-eun, who endured her hardships quietly, possibly to avoid burdening her widowed mother with public scrutiny.
There’s also a gendered aspect: female celebrities historically faced greater stigma around divorce than their male counterparts. Though this gap is closing, a woman announcing a divorce might brace herself for nasty online comments or assumptions (e.g., “She must have failed as a wife”). By waiting until the social climate is more favorable or until she has a platform to tell her side of the story, she can mitigate some of that negativity.
Male celebrities, while somewhat shielded by patriarchal bias, still worry about being labeled “irresponsible” or having their reputation tarnished by rumors of infidelity or misbehavior that netizens might cook up in the absence of details.
As pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun points out, once the news is out, the “blame game” often begins online – something no public figure relishes.
Interestingly, when celebrities finally do break the news on their own terms, the reaction can be very sympathetic – even more so than they expected.
After Son Jung-eun publicly acknowledged her divorce on Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller, viewers flooded her with supportive messages. Fellow TV personality Seo Jang-hoon noted, “Most people didn’t know she had divorced, so she received more messages after the show than she did when she became an anchor”.
In other words, coming clean actually boosted her connection with the public. Fans appreciate honesty and often rally around stars who show vulnerability.
Knowing this, one might wonder if the fears of backlash are somewhat overblown today. But for the celebrity living through that decision, it’s understandably hard to shake off years of caution and worst-case thinking.
The positive reactions are only seen in hindsight – and by that point, the star may indeed feel it was finally the “right time” to share. As one participant on the Dolsingles show said poignantly about societal judgment, “They don’t know what will happen to them either. No one knows the future. Do you think I predicted my divorce?” That reminder – that celebrities are human and life is unpredictable – is gradually sinking in among audiences, making space for more empathy.
From stigma to support: A new era of openness?
South Korea’s celebrity divorce secrets highlight a culture in transition.
On one hand, the fact that stars no longer have to permanently pretend to be in happy marriages is a sign of progress – a decade or two ago, such delayed confessions or hidden divorces would likely have been career suicide, yet now these stars continue thriving.
On the other hand, the very need to delay those announcements shows that image and societal expectations still exert a powerful hold on people in the spotlight.
The balance between public and private life remains delicate. Every celebrity must gauge for themselves when (or if) to reveal a personal truth like divorce, weighing their emotional readiness against the potential media storm.
Encouragingly, the trend seems to be moving toward greater openness. As more celebrities step forward with their stories – whether through a heartfelt Instagram post, a TV talk show, or their own YouTube channel – they pave the way for others to do the same without fear. Each time a star speaks up and is met with understanding rather than scorn, it chips away at the old stigma.
It also sends a broader message to everyday people watching: You don’t have to be ashamed of making the tough choice to end an unhappy marriage.
For the celebrities, finally sharing their long-kept secret can even be a form of personal growth and empowerment – reclaiming their narrative after years of living a “public lie” for the sake of image. It allows them to authentically connect with fans and perhaps breathe a sigh of relief that they no longer have to tiptoe around the topic.
And for the public, it’s a reminder that behind the glitz and filtered Instagram photos, these stars are real people who face the same life challenges as anyone else.
The hope is that, moving forward, honesty won’t require a multi-year delay and that idols, actors, and artists can feel free to be open about major life changes when they happen.
