Actor Jang Shin-young speaks for the first time about her husband’s infidelity scandal

Actor Jang Shin-young appears on SBS TV’s “My Little Old Boy,” which aired on Sunday. Courtesy of SBS

By KTimes

Renowned actor Jang Shin-young, who faced a difficult period following her husband and actor Kang Kyung-joon’s infidelity scandal, opened up about her emotional struggles during an appearance on Sunday’s episode from the SBS reality TV show “My Little Old Boy”.

Jang was under significant pressure before her appearance due to the heavy media coverage surrounding her guest role, the production team said. However, the warm welcome from the hosts and the group of celebrity mums who appear on the show helped to ease her nerves as she stepped onto the set.

For the first time, Jang reflected on the 10-month period that followed the scandal, admitting: “It would be a lie to say it wasn’t difficult.”

Jang said that despite the challenges, divorce was never something she wanted. “Instead of saying, ‘I can’t live with you anymore,’ I thought about how we could move forward in a way that would cause the least pain to our children so that they could continue to live happily and confidently as before.” she said

Jang revealed her reasons for being the first to contact her husband. “After all, I was completely lost and couldn’t think straight. Nothing made sense to me,” he said. “At one point, I looked at my husband, and he looked so vulnerable, almost like he was naked. As a woman, it was hard to witness.”

Jang explained that she walked up to him and said, “‘I want to hold your hand, but is it okay if I do?’ He replied, ‘I’m embarrassed and I’m sorry, and I have nothing to say, but I’m going to apologize.’ Then I said, ‘Then we’ll move forward together.’

Reflecting on his decision, he added: “Even looking back now, I have no regrets.”

Jang married Kang in 2018 and gave birth to their son in 2019. She also has an 18-year-old son from her previous marriage.

Actors Kang Kyung-joon, left, and Jang Shin-young / Captured from Jang’s Instagram

In December 2023, Kang faced allegations of having an affair with a married woman, and the woman’s husband filed a lawsuit against him. The husband claimed that Kang had knowingly become involved in the affair despite being aware of her marital status.

When the lawsuit initially came to light, Kang’s representatives claimed that it was difficult to verify the details due to the personal nature of the matter. However, in July, Kang agreed to pay 50 million won ($37,000) in damages as requested by the plaintiff, prompting the court to close the case with a settlement.

This article from Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by generative artificial intelligence and edited by The Korea Times.