Kim Jung-hwa and Yoo Eun-sung: 'We Also Thought About Divorce'

Actress Kim Jung-hwa and CCM singer Yoo Eun-sung revealed that they have actually contemplated divorce during their marriage. While they are known to the public as an affectionate couple who overcame health crises and family struggles together, the two shared that they have experienced the reality of an ordinary couple, even considering the extreme choice of divorce during periods of communication breakdowns and emotional conflict.

In particular, as the couple—who have stayed by each other's side even after Yoo Eun-sung was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2023—revealed these inner feelings, public perception of their marriage is being viewed in a new light. Just because a couple has navigated massive crises like illness does not mean conflict disappears. Rather, their story serves as an example of how vital communication and trust are as the weight of life increases.

Recently, a video titled "After the Divorce Article, I Listened from the Husband's Perspective" was released on the YouTube channel Channel Kim Jung-hwa. Following Kim's honest disclosure regarding her experience of having a major fight with her husband and the moments she thought about divorce, this video aimed to revisit the situation from Yoo's perspective.

In a previous video, Kim stated, "Both of us have thought about divorce."

However, she noted that they did not reach the stage of actually deciding to divorce. She explained that while there are practical reasons, such as having children, conflicts arise primarily because trust and love still exist between them.

"Because there is affection, we fight, and because there is affection, I get angry when he doesn't pick up the phone," her words perfectly capture the paradox of long-term marital relationships.

If there is no love, there is no disappointment. If there is nothing to expect from a partner, there is no reason to feel anger when they do not answer the phone. Kim's observation regarding "affection as a reason for fighting" captures the essential nature of marital conflict. Conflict itself does not necessarily mean the breakdown of a relationship; rather, it can be evidence that one still expects and demands something from their partner.

When the production team asked specifically about the moment she considered divorce, Kim replied, "I think it goes to the extreme when there is no communication."

Ultimately, the most dangerous moment for the couple was not the intense fight itself, but the moment conversation ceased.

In the subsequent video, the production team asked Yoo the same question directly. Since previous reports had focused only on Kim's remarks—making it appear as though she was the only one considering divorce—the intent this time was to hear the husband's thoughts.

Yoo was momentarily flustered by the question but eventually answered, "There was a time."

Kim remarked, "Viewers might be surprised that a couple like us, who had health issues and appeared so lovely on 'Same Bed, Different Dreams 2: You Are My Destiny,' would think about divorce."

To this, Yoo replied, "Because we are a real-life couple."

It is a short but meaningful expression.

One of the easiest traps the public falls into when observing the married lives of celebrities is the "realization of image." People assume that a couple showing an affectionate side on television must always be happy in real life, and conversely, if a conflict is revealed, they conclude there is a fundamental problem with the relationship.

However, the couple in front of the camera and the couple behind it are not always the same.

The same applies to Kim and Yoo. While they show consideration and express love on broadcasts, in reality, opinions clash, emotions are hurt, and they sometimes fight to the point of cutting off communication. That is, in fact, the realistic reality of a couple who has maintained a 13-year marriage.

Kim stated that her husband's perspective must also be heard. Her intention was that if she shared her reasons for considering divorce, Yoo's feelings in those same situations should also be disclosed.

The reason explained by Yoo was not significantly different from Kim's.

Regarding Kim's comment about thinking of divorce when communication failed, he said, "It is the same."

"When I think, 'They don't understand this. I've explained it this much, but they won't accept it,' there are times when I feel like I am not an important person to them."

On the surface of marital conflict may lie trivial daily habits or arguments, but at the core, issues of the need for recognition, sense of belonging, and attachment often reside. The fact that a partner does not listen is not merely a failure of communication, but can expand into an existential question: "Am I important to you?"

The couple's conflicts followed this pattern. What is even more telling is the duration of their "cold wars."

When asked how long they go without speaking after a fight, Yoo replied, "The longest was probably about one to two weeks."

During those times, Kim would struggle, and eventually, when she says, "I hate being in this bad place with you. It's hard," they begin to talk again.

One to two weeks is not a short time. However, the important factor in their relationship is not the length of the silence, but the fact that a path to dialogue always remains open.

In a marital relationship, the ability to recover after a conflict is more important than the absence of conflict itself. Psychologically, the ability to adjust and restore a relationship is a more critical factor for long-term stability than a state of zero conflict. Not all couples avoid fighting; rather, whether they can resume conversation after a fight determines the relationship's longevity.

This is why the story of Kim and Yoo is garnering attention. The couple married in 2013 and has two sons. Since their marriage, they have shared glimpses of their daily lives on television, and their bond was particularly highlighted to the public as Yoo dealt with serious health challenges.

Yoo was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2023. Such a sudden illness is an event that shakes not just the individual, but the entire family, bringing anxiety over treatment, financial burdens, and changes in childcare and daily life.

Kim stayed by her husband's side throughout his treatment, continuing their life as a family. The public naturally viewed them as a "couple who overcame illness together."

Paradoxically, it may be precisely because of this image that the fact they contemplated divorce felt so unexpected to many.

People often assume that couples who endure great trials together will be more tightly bound. However, human relationships are not that linear. While crises can unite a family, they can also amplify emotional, financial, and psychological burdens, deepening conflicts.

In that sense, the fact that they "thought about divorce" does not necessarily signify a failure of the relationship. Rather, it shows how realistically the two view their bond.

Kim's comment that "we fight because there is affection" follows the same logic. In a marriage, perfect tranquility can be unrealistic. As two people with different backgrounds, values, and habits form a single household, conflict is inevitable. The key is not the absence of conflict, but how that conflict is managed.

For Kim and Yoo, that final step is "dialogue."

The process where Kim says she hates being in a state of conflict and Yoo begins to talk again is less an episode of a simple marital spat and more a demonstration of a relationship's recovery mechanism.

Ultimately, what prevented divorce was not the illusion of being a "conflict-free couple," but the strength to seek each other out even after a fight.

The married lives of celebrities are constant content for public consumption. Happy photos are framed as "ideal couples," while disputes are repackaged with sensational headlines about "marital crises" or "divorce threats." However, real marriage exists between those two extremes.

It is a cycle of laughing and fighting, loving and feeling hurt, and misunderstanding and then resuming conversation.

Through this dialogue, Kim and Yoo acknowledged that imperfect reality. Yoo's remark, "Because we are a real-life couple," perhaps best describes their relationship. Overcoming a brain tumor does not erase conflict, and appearing affectionate on television does not mean constant happiness.

The most important thing is whether you can talk again.

Having lived together for 13 years since their marriage in 2013, the two continue their relationship by accepting each other's imperfections rather than seeking perfection. The fact that a couple who navigated a major crisis like a brain tumor still argues over small things and even contemplates divorce simply shows how complex the bond of marriage truly is.

Love is not the absence of conflict, but the choice not to give up on the relationship after the conflict occurs.

For Kim and Yoo, the moments they thought about divorce were not the end of their marriage. Instead, they were closer to a starting point—a place to explain their hearts again and listen to each other's voices once more.

The message their story sends is simple: even couples who look happy on screen fight. Sometimes, they even think about divorce. But as long as they can sit down and talk again, the relationship is not over.

Within Yoo's joke about being a "real-life couple" lies the most honest truth of their 13-year marriage.