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Actor Koo Hye-sun calls out use of references to 2020 divorce on entertainment shows

Published: 08 Aug. 2025, 14:45 Updated: 10 Aug. 2025, 16:36

LIM JEONG-WON
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Actor Koo Hye-sun [NEWS1]

Actor Koo Hye-sun has criticized what she called repeated, indirect references to her 2020 divorce from actor Ahn Jae-hyun in entertainment programs.

In a statement posted Friday on social media, Koo said their split — marked by conflicting claims but settled with an agreement not to pursue those disputes — carried an “unspoken promise” and “moral duty” to refrain from revisiting the past. Divorce, she wrote, is “a selfish and difficult process” where both sides assert their grievances.

She took aim at “dangerous” remarks on variety shows that blur the line between joke and truth, as well as producers’ prompts that encourage them. Such comments, she said, inflict “secondary harm” and “deep wounds” on those involved.

“No one in this world has the right to ridicule me for the sake of public amusement,” Koo wrote, adding that she hoped Ahn would be recognized for his own achievements, not their former marriage.

Her post followed a recent episode of the YouTube show "Jo Hyun-ah’s Common Thursday Night," in which musician Muzie jokingly referenced Ahn’s “public” troubles, drawing knowing laughter.

Koo and Ahn married in 2016 and divorced four years later. A former star of the KBS drama "Boys Over Flowers" (2009), Koo has also directed films including "Daughter" (2014) and "Mystery Pink" (2018). She is now pursuing a master’s in science journalism at KAIST and has recently entered business.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]