South Korean actress Jung Ga-eun (정가은) debuted as a model in 1997 and officially entered the entertainment industry in 2001 after winning the 'Seon' award in the Miss Korea Gyeongsangnam-do regional selection. She began her acting career with the drama Marrying a Millionaire and gained recognition for her role as Jung Bo-seok's first love in the hit sitcom High Kick Through the Roof. Known for her beauty and tall stature, she earned nicknames like 'Eight-Headed Song Hye-kyo' and 'Little Song Hye-kyo'.
Jung married a businessman her age in January 2016 and gave birth to a daughter in July of the same year. However, their marriage lasted only two years. After the divorce, she raised her daughter alone, experiencing a period of low spirits due to life pressures and a decrease in work. In recent years, she has actively managed a YouTube channel and continues to be active in the entertainment industry.
Jung Ga-eun's marital troubles previously garnered significant public attention. According to Korean media reports, her ex-husband allegedly committed approximately 660 fraud cases during their marriage, using her name to illegally obtain about ₩13.2 billion. Even after their divorce, he reportedly continued to borrow money from her under various pretexts. As his actions did not cease, she eventually filed a criminal complaint for fraud.
Recently, Jung discussed her life after divorce, revealing that her ex-husband completely lost contact shortly after their separation. He never paid child support and even borrowed money from her, leaving her to bear the burden of raising their daughter alone for years. She became emotional when recalling her daughter asking, "Where is Dad?" and seeing her daughter at events without a father present, admitting those were the most heartbreaking moments as a mother.
On May 25, Jung Ga-eun appeared on the YouTube show Roller Coaster Goddess Jung Ga-eun, 10 Years Later, sharing her post-divorce life. She stated that although she and her ex-husband divorced due to personality differences, she always hoped to maintain the father-daughter relationship for their daughter's sake. She explained, "We separated because we weren't a good fit, but I didn't want my child to lose her father, so I always tried to arrange for them to meet, but it never worked out in the end."
However, about two and a half years after the divorce, everything began to spiral out of control. Jung revealed that she later discovered her ex-husband was involved in significant financial problems. When she checked his bank account, the balance was zero, and the last transaction recorded was his departure overseas. Since then, she completely lost contact with him.
When asked about child support, she gave a bitter laugh and said, "What child support? After the divorce, he even asked me to lend him money." Her words deeply saddened the other guests on the show.
She also recalled that her daughter started to understand things around age 7 and constantly asked about her father. "She asked me, 'Why don't I live with Dad?' 'Mom, why don't you call Dad?' That was truly the most difficult time for me." Not wanting her daughter to be sad, she could only calmly reply, "Mom can't reach Dad either."
Jung also mentioned an emotional moment at her daughter's taekwondo event. When the host called out, "Fathers, please come forward," she broke down. She confessed, "I've always felt so guilty that my daughter has never truly experienced life with her father by her side."
Recalling her decision to marry, Jung stated that she deeply yearned for marriage at the time and, fearing loneliness, easily fell in love with anyone she liked. She said, "After getting pregnant and having my daughter, I even thought at the time that this must be fate telling me to get married."
However, she also lamented that it's difficult to truly understand someone's lifestyle and habits during courtship. "Many things I only learned after the divorce, but those issues weren't the direct cause of our divorce."
