[Sportschosun Reporter Kim Jun-seok] Actress Kim Jung-eun opened up about why she had to reveal her feelings through tears on television after breaking up with Lee Seo-jin.
Lee Seo-jin was also reportedly considering retiring from the entertainment industry at the time, bringing renewed attention to the fallout from their breakup 18 years ago.
On the 20th, a video titled ‘My Best Friend Kim Jung-eun, Who Knows Me Better Than I Know Myself, and a Fiery Chat (+ Surprise Party, Reminiscing)’ was released on the YouTube channel ‘Hye-young Is Unstoppable.’
That day, Kim Jung-eun and Lee Hye-young looked back on the SBS music program ‘Kim Jung-eun’s Chocolate,’ which aired from 2008 to 2011.
Lee Hye-young mentioned the scene in which Kim Jung-eun had previously discussed her feelings about the breakup on television and said, “You suddenly did a breakup broadcast there. I wondered if you were bringing Hollywood to Korea for the first time.”
Kim Jung-eun laughed awkwardly and candidly admitted, “I didn’t want to mention it.”
Lee Hye-young comforted Kim Jung-eun, saying, “Everyone in a relationship goes through a breakup. Breaking up, meeting someone else and falling in love—that’s life,” and, “We’re simply talking about one of those memories.”
Kim Jung-eun also explained why she had no choice but to share feelings she had not wanted to discuss at the time.
She recalled, “I didn’t want to leave that kind of image behind on ‘Chocolate,’ but there were so many reporters waiting outside. I was in a situation where I had to make some kind of statement. It would have caused trouble if I didn’t clarify my position.”
She added, “It was absurd, actually. I could have run away or said nothing,” expressing regret over the atmosphere at the time, which forced her to explain her private life publicly.
Lee Hye-young agreed, saying, “Back then, it was an era when people acted as if something would happen if you didn’t state your position.”
Kim Jung-eun explained that she had also felt considerable pressure because remaining silent could have caused trouble for the program’s staff and other cast members.
Kim Jung-eun and Lee Seo-jin became romantically involved after appearing together in the 2006 SBS drama ‘Lover.’
The couple dated publicly and faced marriage rumors several times, but they broke up in November 2008 after dating for about two years.
After the breakup, Kim Jung-eun took the stage on ‘Kim Jung-eun’s Chocolate,’ which she hosted, and tearfully shared her feelings.
The public took great interest as even the process of ending their publicly acknowledged relationship unfolded on television.
Lee Seo-jin, meanwhile, reportedly left for Hong Kong without issuing a separate official statement.
He resumed his acting career about nine months later through the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) drama ‘Soul,’ which aired in August 2009.
An associate of Lee Seo-jin told the media at the time that he had expressed his anguish in the lead-up to the breakup.
According to the associate, Lee Seo-jin reportedly said, “After the breakup, will I be able to continue working in the entertainment industry?” and, “I may reach a point where I have to consider retirement.”
However, these were not remarks Lee Seo-jin made at an official public event; they were relayed at the time by an associate. The associate also cautioned against speculation surrounding the breakup, saying, “No one but the two people involved can know the details of a relationship between a man and a woman.”
Now that Kim Jung-eun has spoken directly, 18 years later, about the pressure she faced and what she was feeling at the time, the fallout from the couple’s breakup—which led to a tearful broadcast and even thoughts of retirement—is once again being revisited.
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