After more than a year of stop-start litigation, actress Hwang Jung Eum (40) on May 26, 2025, secured a court-mediated settlement that officially ends her marriage to former professional golfer-turned-entrepreneur Lee Young-don (41). The Seoul Family Court’s decision closes a highly publicised chapter that mixed romance, asset freezes worth nearly ₩1.8 billion, and the glare of an unrelated embezzlement indictment, all while Hwang continued to headline prime-time dramas.
From “fairy-tale” wedding to final decree
| Year | Milestone | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | A couple meet through the golf circle friends | Lee was CEO of steel-service firm Geoam Core |
| Feb 26 2016 | Lavish wedding at Shilla Hotel, Seoul | Cast of She Was Pretty in attendance |
| Aug 2017 | Birth of first son | |
| Sept 2020 | First divorce petition (later withdrawn) | Pair reconciled July 2021 |
| Mar 2022 | Birth of second son | |
| Feb 2024 | Second and final divorce filing | Sparked by infidelity rumours on social media |
| May 26 2025 | Divorce finalised via court mediation |
What the settlement says
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Property: Lee’s provisional seizure of two officetel units (combined value ₩1.8 billion) has been lifted; each party retains assets in their name.
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Children: Although the judgment is sealed, Hwang’s agency indicates the actress will maintain primary physical custody of the couple’s two sons, with Lee granted scheduled visitation.
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No spousal support: Korean media report that neither side sought ongoing alimony, opting instead for a one-time equalisation of marital property.
Legal analysts note that Korea’s court-led mediation (jojeong) system allowed both sides to avoid a full-scale trial, a tool increasingly favoured by high-profile couples seeking speed and privacy.
The shadow case: ₩4.34 B embezzlement indictment
While disentangling her marriage, Hwang faced a parallel criminal case for allegedly diverting ₩4.34 billion from her one-person agency to invest in cryptocurrency between 2020 and 2022.
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Indicted without detention (Feb 2025) under the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.
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First hearing (May 15): Hwang admitted liability and has already repaid roughly two-thirds of the amount, according to her counsel.
The next hearing is scheduled for July 2025; a guilty verdict could result in a suspended sentence or a fine, but industry insiders are more concerned about penalties in advertising contracts that include morals clauses.
Career and public reception
Despite the headlines, networks have not pulled Hwang from the variety show Because I’m Solo, and her agency confirms she will begin filming the rom-com Tall Order of Love in early autumn. Advertisers are said to be on a “wait-and-see” footing until the embezzlement case concludes.
Social-listening firm WiseApp logged 52,000 tweets using the hashtag #황정음이혼 in the 24 hours following the decree; sentiment skewed 45 % neutral, 23 % positive, 32 % negative, with many commenters praising her “decisive break” after years of marital turbulence.
Expert view: Why asset freezes are the new leverage
Family-law attorney Kim Ji-woo (not involved in the case) notes that Lee’s successful petition to freeze real estate illustrates “a tactical shift in Korean divorces—spouses now move quickly to secure high-value property before mediation talks begin.” The court-ordered freeze pressured Hwang to negotiate promptly, but its release now signals a clean break for both sides.
Hwang Jung Eum’s nine-year union is legally over, her assets are unfrozen, and the actress is free to rebuild both personal life and on-screen brand—provided the looming embezzlement trial ends without a career-crippling sentence. In South Korea’s evolving legal landscape, her story shows how swiftly a celebrity can pivot from marital crisis to professional reset—if the paperwork and the public fall into line.
