On October 5, Korean media reported that Jiyeon (T-ara) and baseball player Hwang Jae Gyun filed a divorce mediation request with the Seoul Family Court in September. Both the idol and the athlete later confirmed the news.
Previously, the couple had been surrounded by divorce rumors for several months. There were several signs that indicated cracks in their marriage after two years of living together. Now, the bottom line is that Jiyeon and Hwang Jae Gyun have officially separated.
1. Commentator’s lasciviousness about Jiyeon and Hwang Jae Gyun’s wedding
In June 2024, rumors of the couple’s marriage breaking up surfaced after Hwang Jae Gyun faced criticism for a fight with an opponent during a match. At the time, commentator Lee Kwang Gil claimed that Hwang Jae Gyun’s emotional instability and declining performance were due to his divorce from his famous wife. Around the same time, Jiyeon suddenly announced a hiatus from her personal YouTube channel.
Amid the rumors, Jiyeon’s representative quickly denied the claims. Later, commentator Lee Kwang Gil apologized to Hwang Jae Gyun for sharing unverified information about his marriage to Jiyeon.
2. Hwang Jae Gyun drinks all night with a strange woman
In early September, Hwang Jae Gyun was seen drinking with a strange woman from midnight until 6 am. This fueled further speculation about his marriage. Netizens wondered: “How could a veteran player like Hwang Jae Gyun drink in the middle of the season? More importantly, he is a married man. Why is he out drinking with another woman until the morning? Where was Jiyeon?“
Pictures from Hwang Jae Gyun’s party led many to believe that his marriage to Jiyeon was indeed troubled, forcing him to let go and enjoy the company of other women without regard for his wife’s feelings. A source close to Jiyeon shared: “It’s hard to comment on her private life, but I think Jiyeon would have been devastated when she saw those photos. I hope he never sees them.“
3. Jiyeon takes off her wedding ring and announces her return to entertainment
After a three-month hiatus from updating her YouTube channel for personal reasons, Jiyeon returned in September. She expressed happiness while preparing for a 15th anniversary fan meet and greet with T-ara, but she didn’t mention her husband and her wedding ring was noticeably absent.
The youngest member of T-ara also announced his return to the entertainment industry. Previously, Jiyeon admitted that her marriage had impacted her career. He wasn’t getting as many job offers and life had become monotonous. He shared: “I knew there would be challenges when we got married, especially considering our careers. Even knowing this, experiencing it firsthand was incredibly difficult. I honestly felt lost. My life felt so empty, as if everything I had worked for had been overshadowed by marriage.”
Source: K14
