Bae Jong Ok opens up about divorce: 'I felt more relieved'

Actress Bae Jong Ok has shared her candid feelings regarding her marriage, her divorce, and the years she spent raising her daughter alone. While she acknowledged the pain at the time of her divorce, she drew attention by calmly confessing that, unexpectedly, her life felt more relieved and comfortable afterward.

During an appearance on actor Song Seung-whan's YouTube channel released on the 28th, Bae appeared as a guest to share sincere stories about her life, family, and views on marriage.

Bae married in 1993 and had a daughter, but her marriage ended after only 18 months. Since then, she has continued her acting career while raising her daughter alone, maintaining a lifestyle so consistent that even those around her at the time did not notice her personal situation.

Recalling their time working together on the drama 'Men of the Bath House,' Song said, "We filmed almost every day for nearly a year, yet I didn't even know she had divorced. She didn't show any signs of being a single mother raising a child."

To this, Bae gave an unexpected response, stating, "In fact, there was almost nothing difficult about being divorced."

She candidly confessed, "It was actually more comfortable. Since my mother took care of the child, I could just focus on my work. It wasn't that I was intentionally pretending not to have a hard time; it really wasn't that difficult."

Of course, the process of her marriage ending was not entirely easy.

When Song asked, "You married because of love, so wasn't there pain when you broke up?" Bae admitted, "Of course there was pain," but cited her personality as a reason.

She said, "I am the type of person who ends things when I feel they aren't right. It would be a lie to say there were no difficult parts, but looking back after time has passed, I think I felt more relieved instead."

She also revealed her current thoughts on marriage.

Bae laughed, saying, "I have no desire to get married again. I think I have already forgotten those feelings."

She added, "Since I don't know what fate holds, I might meet someone if a good person appears, but I haven't thought about going as far as marriage," indicating her satisfaction with her current life.

Bae's calm confession drew significant empathy, demonstrating a mature attitude of accepting marriage and divorce not as failures, but as a process of life. Her sincere story of navigating life in her own way, rather than exaggerating or hiding her struggles, left a deep impression on viewers.