Comedian Jo Hye-ryun reveals 2.5-year fallout with close friend Lee Sung-mi over religious pressure

Comedian Jo Hye-ryun has revealed a past where she cut off contact with her close friend Lee Sung-mi for two and a half years due to religious issues. She confessed that during a difficult time following her divorce, she sought comfort but instead received religious suggestions, leading to accumulated discomfort that resulted in her deleting Lee's phone number. The unexpected conflict between the two, who once boasted of a long friendship, is drawing renewed attention.

A video titled "Q. Provide evidence that God exists. Answer: Jo Hye-ryun" was recently released on the YouTube channel 'I Don't Go to Church, but I'm Curious'. While appearing with Tae Hang-ho and Kim Ho-hyeon to discuss her religion and faith, Jo Hye-ryun brought up the story of how she once drifted apart from Lee Sung-mi.

Recalling the time, Jo Hye-ryun said, "I deleted that unnie's phone number and cut off contact with her." Although Lee Sung-mi said she was praying for her and urged her to attend a joint celebrity worship service, Jo explained that such an approach felt like a significant burden at the time, stating, "It was too much pressure."

A meal shared during her difficult period following her divorce became the decisive turning point. Jo recalled, "We ate together when I was getting divorced. I said, 'Unnie, I'm having such a hard time,' and she cried while eating, then said, 'Hye-ryun, there is a joint celebrity worship service today.'" Having shared her struggles, she expected empathy and comfort, but felt bewildered and uncomfortable when the conversation turned into an invitation to a worship service.

She did not hide her feelings at the time, saying, "I hated it so much. Whenever I met this unnie, her eyes had something else in them." Rather than failing to understand Lee Sung-mi's religious sincerity, she meant that the atmosphere of being led in the direction the other person wanted while she was in a difficult situation was burdensome.

Eventually, Jo Hye-ryun accepted Lee's suggestion and attended a service once. However, she revealed that she encountered an unexpected situation there. "I went once. But they were doing a special feature on cults. The religion I believe in appeared there. I was so angry that I stormed out," she said. She explained that she felt insulted seeing her own religion featured in materials related to cults and abruptly left the venue.

Following this, the two cut off contact for as long as two and a half years. Jo explained the disconnection, saying, "After that, we didn't contact each other for two and a half years. I deleted the number." It was not a simple argument, but a situation where religious beliefs and personal emotions became intertwined, making it difficult to quickly restore the relationship despite their long friendship.

It is reported that the two became close again after Jo Hye-ryun began attending church. Jo has previously shared anecdotes on various broadcasts about drifting apart from Lee Sung-mi due to religious issues. This recent confession has drawn interest by showing that even if a suggestion stems from religious goodwill, it can act as a burden on a relationship if the other person's situation and choices are not respected.

Read the original (Korean)