Influencer Hong Yeong-gi Reveals Husband Tore Her Clothes Over Outfit Disputes, Mother-in-Law's Surprising Reaction to Bikini Photos

South Korean influencer and model Hong Yeong-gi (홍영기) rose to fame after appearing on the first season of the variety show “Ulzzang Generation” (얼짱시대). Her striking visuals quickly made her a first-generation “original ulzzang,” becoming a real-life muse for many online novel and comic book heroines, garnering immense popularity. She later transitioned into a career as an influencer and e-commerce entrepreneur. She married Lee Se-yong (이세용), also from “Ulzzang Generation” and three years her junior, and they now have two sons. Their marriage, prompted by an unplanned pregnancy, sent shockwaves through the public, as Lee Se-yong was reportedly only 18 at the time.

Hong Yeong-gi recently openly discussed her marriage since marrying at age 20 on a television program. She revealed frequent conflicts with her husband over her clothing choices, even disclosing that he once tore her clothes due to his discomfort with other men looking at her. When discussing her relationship with her mother-in-law, she shared a particularly memorable anecdote that prompted the host to praise her mother-in-law as “so cool.”

On May 27, the YouTube channel “Gwangyewon” (광예원) released a video titled “The Process of Influencer Hong Yeong-gi Becoming a KISHINING Representative.” In the program, Hong Yeong-gi reflected on her life after marrying young and discussed her interactions with her husband and mother-in-law.

Regarding her past fashion style, Hong Yeong-gi revealed that her husband initially strongly disapproved of her wearing more revealing clothing. Host Kang Ye-won (강예원) brought up Hong Yeong-gi’s current bold outfits and asked about her husband’s reaction. She admitted, “He really hated it at first. Until about four or five years ago, he always had something to say about my clothes.”

It turned out her husband was very sensitive to other men looking at her. Hong Yeong-gi recalled, “He didn’t like other guys staring at me. We even fought about it once, and my husband actually tore my clothes.” Faced with her husband’s opposition, Hong Yeong-gi became even more determined to assert her freedom. She stated, “The more he restricted my freedom, the more I wanted to break free.” She even turned the tables, telling her husband, “Then you should only wear the clothes I tell you to wear when you go out.”

She believes everyone has their own style. “He has his style, and I have mine. I don’t wear these clothes to make other men like me; it’s just my style, and I want to wear clothes like this.” After communication, her husband gradually accepted her way of dressing, and conflicts between the couple over clothing slowly diminished.

Her two sons also have completely different reactions to their mother’s outfits. Hong Yeong-gi laughed, saying that her younger son, upon seeing her in more revealing clothes, would even pull her clothes to cover her, just like his father. Her older son, however, fully supports his mother, believing that “Mom’s freedom should be respected.”

However, the most talked-about part of the program was Hong Yeong-gi’s relationship with her mother-in-law. She revealed that she once took a very daring photoshoot at a ski resort, wearing ski boots with a bikini, and posted the photos on social media. At the time, she and her mother-in-law were still “following each other” on social media. After seeing her daughter-in-law post such photos, her mother-in-law didn’t scold her but instead proactively asked, “Should I unfollow you?”

Hong Yeong-gi explained that her mother-in-law asked this because she felt that following each other might make her daughter-in-law hesitant to post freely. Therefore, she offered to unfollow if it would make Hong Yeong-gi more comfortable. This reaction prompted Kang Ye-won to exclaim, “Her mother-in-law is so cool!”

Reflecting on Hong Yeong-gi marrying at 20 and having been with her husband for over 20 years, Kang Ye-won remarked, “To get married at 20 and still live well with your husband and maintain such a good relationship with your family is truly amazing.”