Lee Hye-young recalls facing 300-400 reporters after divorce from Lee Sang-min

"I didn't know there were so many reporters in our country"

Actress Lee Hye-young sat down with her close friend Kim Jung-eun on September 20 for a video posted to Lee's YouTube channel 혜영이는 못말려. The conversation turned to one of the more uncomfortable chapters of her career: the public statement she was pressured to make following her divorce from Lee Sang-min.

A head of the entertainment department at a broadcasting station told her directly: "You have to get over this hurdle anyway, so apologize and make a statement when everyone is together." She had been preparing to return to the variety show 여걸식스 at the time.

What she wasn't prepared for was the scale of the press turnout. "I didn't know there were so many reporters in our country," she said. "There were about 300 to 400 of them." Other cast members and production staff were waiting because of her situation. "That was an enormous amount of pressure," she added. "At that time, I thought I had to face the situation head-on to continue the broadcast."

Kim Jung-eun's own parallel

Kim Jung-eun had lived through something similar. During the drama Chocolate, reporters were waiting outside the broadcasting station after a public relationship ended, and she felt she had no real choice. "Actually I could have run away and didn't have to say anything," she said — but the industry climate made silence feel impossible.

Both women reflected on how the era itself shaped those decisions. Kim framed it plainly: "In a way, we didn't hide and showed some courage. It was kind of a bullet-taking atmosphere."

The video also included a lighter moment: Kim had prepared a surprise party for Lee, who is currently recovering her health, complete with rice cakes and a banner. Lee teared up, telling Kim, "You're the only friend's sibling I have."