On December 22, Jiyeon, a member of girl group T-ARA, uploaded several photos to her personal SNS showing herself with other T-ARA members at the airport, presumably before an overseas program. The post contained a black heart emoji, with no additional caption.
While the images themselves highlighted Jiyeon’s continued close bond with her group members, the timing of the post quickly became a topic of discussion among netizens, as it came just days after Hwang Jae-gyun officially announced the end of his baseball career.
On December 19, Hwang Jae-gyun shared a handwritten letter on social media, announcing his retirement from professional baseball.
“Today I conclude my 30 years of life in baseball,” he wrote. “Even as I write this, emotions that I cannot fully express continue to overwhelm me.”
Hwang Jae-gyun debuted in 2006 with the Hyundai Unicorns and went on to play for Heroes, Lotte Giants, MLB’s San Francisco Giants and KT Wiz, where he remained from 2018 until his retirement. In his final season, he posted a .275 batting average, 7 home runs, and 48 RBIs in 112 games, while also exercising his free agency (FA) rights.
Jiyeon and Hwang Jae-gyun married in 2022, but confirmed their divorce just two years later, attracting considerable public attention due to their high-profile status. Since their split, both have largely refrained from making public comments about each other.
Although Jiyeon’s recent post does not make any direct reference to Hwang, speculation has arisen online due to the overlapping timing. Some netizens interpreted the heart emoji as symbolic, while others cautioned against overanalyzing a post that seemed to focus on Jiyeon’s current activities and friendships.
Sources: StarNews
