On October 5th, Jiyeon from T-ara announced her divorce from baseball player Hwang Jae-gyun after only two years of marriage. Notably, Hwang Jae-gyun was previously spotted at a bar dating different women.
In the divorce announcement, Jiyeon, not wanting to hurt the other party, only mentioned that they could not reconcile due to differences in lifestyle, leading to their decision to part ways. However, fans feel sympathy for the singer.
A Difficult Love Life
Born in 1993, Jiyeon is the youngest member of the popular group T-ara. She was considered the most beautiful and famous member of the group. At the peak of her career, Jiyeon was consistently ranked among the top beauties and was one of the female idols with the largest fan base.
Before getting married, Jiyeon dated actor Lee Dong-gun, who is 13 years older than her. The two confirmed their relationship in July 2015 after working together on the movie “Encounter”. However, by February 2017, they officially broke up due to busy schedules. Just three months later, Lee Dong-gun married actress Jo Yoon-hee.
In a noteworthy detail, Lee Dong-gun admitted in an interview that he had been texting Jo Yoon-hee to console her as early as December 2016, when she was already two months pregnant. At that time, he was still in a relationship with Jiyeon. This revelation showed that the actor had cheated and betrayed Jiyeon.
Looking back at that time, Jiyeon expressed her heartbreak and even cried during a live stream while talking to her fans. Additionally, people in the entertainment industry revealed that because Jiyeon loved deeply, her boyfriend exploited her financially, treating her like a servant to boss around.
In 2021, Jiyeon confirmed her relationship with baseball player Hwang Jae-gyun. By December 2022, the couple had tied the knot in a romantic and joyful wedding. During the ceremony, Hwang Jae-gyun even danced to a T-ara song to express his love for his wife.
Their newlywed life seemed sweet. They frequently shared pictures of their travels and adventures together. Hwang Jae-gyun even said, “I love my married life. When I was single, I would return home after a game and feel empty. But now, every time I come home, Jiyeon welcomes me with her aegyo (cute gestures). What people do not know is that Jiyeon has a lot of aegyo and is really adorable. She only shows this side to family members. That’s why my father adores her.“
However, in early September, a video showing Hwang Jae-gyun hanging out with another woman at a bar in Seoul quickly spread across social media. Although the athlete denied the divorce rumors at the time, their marriage still ended without a happy conclusion.
Jiyeon – A Woman Who Has Endured Much Pain
Jiyeon’s decision to end her marriage after just two years has left her fans heartbroken, as she has endured significant emotional pain both in her career and personal life.
Jiyeon debuted with T-ara at the age of 16 in 2009. She stood out from the start, but this also attracted negative comments from fans of other artists regarding her appearance and talent. Moreover, being dubbed “Little Kim Tae-hee” brought both attention and criticism, with some people mocking her for allegedly riding on the fame of her senior.
At T-ara’s peak, the group sold over 36 million records, making them the best-selling girl group in terms of physical album sales in history.
However, in July 2012, member Hwayoung left the group, accusing the others of bullying and ostracizing her. At that time, T-ara went from being a top girl group to being outcast by the entire Korean entertainment industry. They were severely criticized, denied the chance to clear their names, and even banned from appearing on broadcasts. As the most famous member, Jiyeon faced the brunt of the attacks, despite not being at fault.
It was not until 2017 that T-ara was cleared of the bullying scandal involving former member Hwayoung, but by then, the group’s reputation had already diminished. Although Jiyeon returned to the music scene with solo projects, her new management company did not handle her promotions well, and her popularity gradually declined. Furthermore, Jiyeon did not find success in transitioning to acting, leading to fewer opportunities for her to appear publicly.
Feeling exhausted by life in the entertainment industry, Jiyeon hoped to find peace and happiness through marriage but failed to find it. It seems that Jiyeon has experienced deep wounds in both her career and love life.
Source: K14
