Actor Ko Hyun-jung reflects on years of living apart from her children

Says 'I never knew it could be this sad not be close to them'

By KTimes

Actor Ko Hyun-jung made her first appearance on a TV talk show in 15 years, discussing her relationship with the children she shares with her ex-husband, Chung Yong-jin, chairman of Shinsegae Group.

During the Nov. 27 broadcast of tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block,” Ko opened up about the emotional distance she feels with her children.

“Many people wonder if I get to see my kids,” she said. “Because I haven’t lived with them, I’ve felt shy and unfamiliar around them. I never realized how sad it could feel to not be close to them.”

Fighting back tears, she said, “That feeling was incredibly painful. It’s something that’s gone now and can’t be filled. I was deeply hurt by it.”

Ko, who rose to fame after being crowned Miss Korea runner-up in 1989, became a household name with the SBS drama “Sandglass” (1995), which became a major hit.

At the peak of her career, she married Chung and retired from the entertainment industry. The couple had a son and a daughter but divorced in 2003 after eight years of marriage. Ko returned to acting in 2005 with the drama “A Spring Day” and has since continued her career.

Her appearance on “You Quiz” marks Ko’s first TV talk show since her 2009 interview on MBC’s “Knee Drop Guru.” She recently launched a YouTube channel to connect with fans.

Ko spoke candidly about “Sandglass,” saying, “It was a hugely popular drama, but it coincided with a time when I was ready to turn the page on my life. I abruptly stopped and left to get married, just as people wanted more from me.”

She added, “I was so focused on dating back then that filming the drama felt like an interruption. The popularity I gained from ‘Sandglass’ was something rare and precious, but at the time, I didn’t value it and didn’t want to feel its significance.”

Ko shared that after her first pregnancy, she revisited the success of “Sandglass” and felt overwhelming guilt.

“I thought to myself, ‘What was I doing?’ I was so irresponsible. I thought I had given my all, but I realized there were leaks in my life. I cried constantly but couldn’t cry with anyone else,” she said.

Toward the end of the program, Ko expressed regret and hope for the future.

“I feel like I’ve been rude in front of the public at times,” she said. “I want to keep acting with a spirit that doesn’t lose touch with the times, even as I age, and I hope to meet you all through many works.”

Fighting back tears, she appealed to the audience, saying, “I hope you won’t see me too harshly. I want to live well as Ko Hyun-jung, someone born in 1971 in Korea, along with all of you.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.