Hwang Jung-um (Yonhap)
Actor Hwang Jung-eum posted an official apology Thursday for her earlier Instagram post about a woman she mistakenly accused of having a relationship with her now-estranged husband.
"There has been a misunderstanding as I sorted out my personal affairs. I apologize for inflicting harm on the person and those around her for posting about her," she wrote on her Instagram page, adding that she has apologized to the victim in person.
The 39-year-old singer-turned-actor is currently going through a divorce with former golfer Lee Young-dong, her husband of eight years. Through public comments, Hwang has implied that her husband had an affair. Lee has remained silent on the issue.
Hwang's agency Yi Entertainment, however, did not disclose the exact reasons for the divorce, citing privacy concerns.
Earlier Thursday, Hwang posted on her Instagram page a screengrab of a woman's Instagram page about her trip to Bangkok with a person named Lee Young-don. Hwang posted the photo with the message, "Ugly girl. Please marry Young-don."
She also suggested that the woman "desires another person's husband, because she thinks like that."
In the process, the woman's photo and her real name were made public and her Instagram page had been subject to malicious comments by Hwang's fans.
But the Lee Young-don mentioned by the woman turned out to be the nickname of the woman's friend, who told a local media outlet that they were considering taking legal action against Hwang if she didn't issue a public apology.
Hwang debuted in 2002 as a member of the K-pop girl group Sugar, but found bigger success in her acting career after quitting the group in 2004. Her big break as an actor came in the 2009-10 sitcom "High Kick Through the Rough."
Hwang and Lee tied the knot in 2016, and have two children.
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