Park Ji-yoon on Handling Malicious Comments After Divorce From Choi Dong-seok: “Heaven Knows, and I Know”

Park Ji-yoon spoke candidly about how she responds to malicious comments following her divorce from Choi Dong-seok, saying she reminds herself, “Heaven knows, and I know.”

In a pre-release video for the tvN STORY variety program Namgyeoseo Mwohage that was released on June 1, Kim Dae-ho, who recently moved into freelance broadcasting, appeared as a guest. During the segment, he had an honest conversation with Park Ji-yoon, his senior in the announcer field.

Kim Dae-ho asked her directly about a reality many broadcasters face. “People in broadcasting get criticized and scolded. Malicious comments are posted, too. How do you deal with them?” he said.

Park Ji-yoon answered that malicious comments are still not something she has learned to accept easily. “I still cannot get used to malicious comments. I think the best thing is not to think about them. You have to forget them quickly and not look at them,” she said, explaining the approach she has developed for herself.

She also opened up about how her reaction changed over time. “At first, I found it strange and read every single one. But once I did that, I found myself looking at bad comments almost obsessively. When that happens, you start hesitating,” she said, revealing the emotional effect the comments had on her.

Describing her own way of coping, Park Ji-yoon said, “I say to myself, ‘Heaven knows, and I know.’” She continued, “When it comes to unfair rumors or things people have misunderstood, you cannot meet the entire nation and explain yourself, can you? If I think, ‘It is enough that heaven knows and I know,’ the hurt feelings ease a little.”

Kim Dae-ho responded with empathy. “That is true. Still, you cannot help feeling scratched by it. You do get hurt,” he said. Park Se-ri also strongly agreed, saying, “There are people who say they dislike you even when you have not done anything.”

Kim Dae-ho then shared his own difficulty as a broadcaster. “At first, you may not pay attention, but if you keep hearing it, there are times when you start thinking, ‘Am I really someone people do not want to see?’” he said.

Park Ji-yoon married Choi Dong-seok, who had joined KBS as an announcer in the same cohort as her, in 2009. The couple had one son and one daughter, but in 2023 they announced news of their separation. Afterward, various allegations and rumors were raised during the divorce process.