Rumors circulated through Korean media on November 7, after reports claimed that Jiyeon, a member of the legendary K-pop girl group Tareshe had been divorced for 17 years from a famous fashion designer, her senior stylist Hwang Jae-keun.
The speculation began when a blogger published a post titled “Jiyeon’s current situation and fashion style (Tare) Who returned to the idol scene after divorcing Hwang Jae-keun. The story spread quickly in online communities, confusing fans who were unaware that Jiyeon had ever been married to the fashion designer.
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However, on the evening of November 7, Tenasia reported that designer Hwang Jae-keun personally responded to the rumors, firmly denying them with a witty statement: “When did I supposedly get married and divorced?”
It was soon discovered that the entire situation stemmed from a mix-up of names. The blogger had confused Hwang Jae-keun, the fashion designer, with Hwang Jae-gyun, Jiyeon’s now ex-husband and professional baseball player. The similarity between their names caused a spiral of misunderstanding online, although there was no truth to the rumor that Jiyeon had ever married or divorced the fashion designer.
Jiyeon married baseball player Hwang Jae-gyun in late 2022, but the couple quietly divorced after two years. Despite the breakup, Jiyeon remains active in both music and acting, continuing to embody her image as a “timeless K-pop goddess.”
Meanwhile, Hwang Jae-keun, born in 1976, is a respected designer and graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium. He remains single and focused on his fashion career, having no connection to the false marriage rumors.
The incident serves as a reminder once again how quickly misinformation can spread online, especially when celebrity names are similar, and how easily netizens can confuse fiction with fact in today’s fast-paced world of entertainment media.
