August 6, 2025 • 13 mins
Step into the hidden world of chaebol families with The Shocking Truth About Annie Moon’s Family. This storytelling dives deep into Annie Moon's surprising idol journey and the shocking family legacy she carries as part of one of Korea’s most powerful dynasties. Annie Moon’s name has been everywhere, but very few know the real story behind her rise and the complicated family web she's tied to. From secret deals to high-society scandals, discover how her Samsung empire connections became both her biggest advantage—and her biggest burden.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ever since she became a trainee, Annie Moon stood out
in the K pop scene, and unfortunately this had very
little to do with her abilities. Instead, Netison's focused on
her background, as she shockingly comes from an elite chabol family,
and not just any as most no. She's directly tied
to the powerful Samsung Empire, and behind the image of
generational wealth lies a tangled web of family, drama and controversy. Annie,
(00:21):
whose full name is Moonsho yun, has been drawing serious
attention from nediicin since she stepped into the spotlight. As
the eldest daughter of Shinsegay president Chung Yuk yung and
former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Moonsung wook, Annie
represents a unique intersection of entertainment and elite family legacy.
Her great grandfather founded Samsung, placing her firmly within South
Korea's fourth generation Cha bowl class. Annie trained with the
(00:44):
Black Label for several years and was widely expected to
debut with their highly anticipated girl group Miau. Her name
had circulated in online forms and speculative lineups for months,
and early photos of her in practice rooms with trainees
only seemed to confirm it. But in May twenty twenty four,
that trajectory took an unexpected turn. On May eleventh, the
Black Label officially announced that Annie would not be part
(01:05):
of Maao, just one day after Korean media claimed she'd.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Been dropped for personal reasons.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
The sudden change left many assuming she had quietly stepped
away from the idle path altogether. Given her background growing
up in wealth surrounded by executives and institutions, most people
only read about the idea of enduring the hyper competitive,
physically demanding life of a trainee felt incompatible from the start.
Some fans half joked that she had simply realized she
was richer than any idle could ever dream of being
(01:32):
and decided it wasn't worth the trade off. But against
all expectations, Annie didn't walk away. Instead, she found her
place in a different lineup and in a very different concept.
She made her debut under the Black Label as part
of the five member co ed group All Day Project,
marking a first for the K pop industry. A member
of one of Korea's most influential business dynasties, officially joining
(01:52):
the idle world with academic credentials from Columbia University and
rumors of her entertainment ambitions circulating since last year, Annie's
transition into music has been closely watched by everyone. As
a result, Netisen's have been digging deeper into her family's history,
uncovering some uncomfortable stories. Annie herself hasn't shied away from
discussing her background, and in fact, she's been surprisingly candid
(02:14):
about the pressure that came with it. During a recent
appearance with All Day Project on Big Bang Day Sung's
YouTube show, Annie opened up about the decade long uphill
battle it took to convince her family to let her
pursue idle life, a decision that, by their standards, probably
seemed like a detour from a predestined executive role in
the family business. According to Annie, her family was one
hundred percent against it when she first brought up the
(02:36):
idea of becoming an idol. For ten years, she pushed
back against that disapproval, insisting that her passion wasn't just
a phase. Eventually, they gave her a condition. If she
got into an Ivy League school, they'd allow her to
pursue becoming an idol, and that's exactly what she did
as she earned her place at Columbia University in New
York City. So if anyone was wondering where those Ivy
League credentials came from, now you know they were the
(02:58):
price of her freedom. When Day's Hung asked if her
family truly backed off once she got in, Annie left
and said they didn't really have a choice, as the
deal had already been made, and just like that, what
might have been the end of a dream became the
beginning of a career. Unfortunately, Annie's journey to the stage
might be the least controversial story linked to the Samsung conglomerate,
as the family is no stranger to public scandal. The
(03:20):
empire has long been entangled in political controversies, most notably
when Aily Jayong was convicted of bribery and embezzlement for
his role in the massive corruption case that brought down
former president Park Gunhai. Even after multiple prison sentences, he
was granted a presidential pardon, supposedly to help improve the
economy after the pandemic. But there's no focus on politics
(03:40):
today because when it comes to the Samsung family, the
real chaos often plays out inside their own homes, from
messi divorces to inheritance lawsuits and marriages that make headlines
for all the wrong reasons. The family has developed a
reputation not just for power, but for dysfunction. One of
the most infamous romantic scandals tied to the Samsung legacy
comes from Annie's own extended family, specifically Lee Bujin, known
(04:02):
in business circles as Little Lee Kunhi for her sharp
leadership style and striking resemblance to her late father, the
longtime Samsung chairman. Boujin built a reputation as one of
South Korea's most powerful business women, but when it came
to love, her story took a turn that no one
in high society expected. In nineteen ninety nine, she shocked
the nation by marrying in Wu Jay, a man who,
depending on which version of the story you believe, was
(04:24):
either a technical staffer or her former bodyguard. Either way,
the pairing of a chable heiress and an ordinary employee
instantly captured the public's imagination. The media called it a
real life Cinderella story, and it even went on to
inspire elements of the hit K drama Queen of Tears.
But just like in the drama, the.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Marriage was far from perfect.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Behind closed doors, what started as a fairy tale quickly
spiraled into something much darker. According to Wujay, the relationship
was never meant to turn into marriage in the first place.
He allegedly tried to reject the idea when Boujin first
brought it up, saying the gap between their family backgrounds
was too big, but when Samsung's chairman, Boujin's his father
personally encouraged him to go through with it, he felt
(05:03):
there was no real choice. In a table dynasty like Samsung,
when the head of the empire speaks, it's more than
just advice, it's simply a command. After the wedding, Wujay
was sent to the US to study, reportedly to earn
the kind of credentials that would make him a more
acceptable match, but the plan quickly.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Turned into a nightmare.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
He didn't speak English, had never lived abroad, and was
suddenly expected to adapt to one of the most elite
academic environments in the world behind closed doors. The emotional
toll was immense. He later described that period as one
of the darkest of his life. Things got so bad
he wanted to take his own life. He once collapsed
in tears in front of Boujin, unable to handle the
pressure anymore. While he managed to complete his studies at MIT,
(05:42):
the emotional and psychological damage from years of trying to
prove his worth never really faded. Eventually, their marriage fell
apart too, as Boujin officially filed for divorce in twenty fourteen.
The legal battle was anything but easy for Wujay, as
her legal team painted him as a man who wasted
time drinking, failed academically, and was aggressive of behind closed doors.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
He insisted these.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Claims were part of a calculated effort to destroy his
credibility and ensure he'd be pushed out of both the
marriage and his child's life. The custody battle that followed
is the most disturbing part of this story. While the
divorce made enough headlines, it was the years that followed
that were the real issue. According to Wujay, his access
to his son was severely limited. His son, just a
third grader at the time, wasn't allowed to visit him freely,
(06:24):
and had reportedly been kept away from his paternal grandparents
for nearly a decade. His own mother, he claimed, had
only seen her grandson once on his first birthday. It
wasn't until a court injunction was granted that Wujay's father
was able to see his grandson's face again. Wujay described
the situation as suffocating.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
His son didn't have.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
A phone, and people were reportedly assigned to monitor.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
His movements and communications.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Making direct contact almost impossible. Even when he tried to call,
the calls wouldn't go through. He eventually had to accept
the reality that for years he'd been sidelined from his
son's life, not as a result of his own choices,
but by systems and power far beyond his control. What
made everything worse is that Bujin's legal team allegedly continued
to portray him as the problem in court. They claimed
(07:06):
the child didn't want to see him, and that the
reduced visitation schedule, cut down to just once a month,
reflected that discomfort. Wuji pushed back, saying the court was
being fed a distorted version of events and that the
child's distance wasn't organic, but that it was created by
the Samsung family. To him, the image being crafted in court,
that of a negligent, greedy, and violent man, didn't align
(07:26):
with the reality he lived. He argued that if any
of those claims were true, the dozens of household staff
who moved in and out of their small apartment would
have witnessed something, but no such evidence ever surfaced. Eventually,
he was finally able to take his son on a
brief camping trip to chun Chung, a small step toward
rebuilding a fractured bond. He said things between them had
begun to feel natural again. Another even more controversial marriage
(07:48):
within the Samsung conglomerate that made headlines for all the
wrong reasons was between beloved actress Kohun Jung and Samsung
R Chung Yong Jin. On paper, it seemed like a
dream pairing. She was one of Korea's fastest rising stars,
fresh off a breakout role that threw her into national fame,
and he was the ultra wealthy grandson of the Samsung Empire,
serving as vice chairman of the Shinsega Group. When they
(08:09):
tied the knot in nineteen ninety five, the public was
convinced that Hun Jong had it all beauty, fame and
now a golden ticket into one of the most powerful
families in the country. But behind the glossy headlines and
billion one wedding budget was a story that quickly.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Turned into something far more devastating. Hyunjong gave up.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Her entire career to step into her new role as
a chable wife, announcing her retirement from the entertainment industry
just as her popularity was peaking. At only twenty two
years old, she disappeared from the spotlight. But instead of
stepping into a life of luxury, she walked into what
would become one of the hardest chapters of her life.
Although what was to come was anything but cute, the
way the couple met is a story straight out of
(08:46):
a romance drama. At the time, Hyunjong was in New
York for an event at the Winter Garden Theater, struggling
to find her seat because of the language barrier.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
That's when Yongjin.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Stepped into help, a moment that seemed small at the
time but ended up changing the.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Course of her life.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
They started dating shortly after, and two years later, Korea's
rising star was marrying into one of the richest families.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
In the country.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
The catch was, however, that Hunjung didn't just marry into wealth,
she married into the weight and expectations of an empire.
The marriage was anything but easy, and that wasn't necessarily
due to Hunjung's relationship with her husband, but rather her
rocky connection to her in laws. According to widespread reports
at the time, the cultural and social gap between her
and her in laws quickly became a major point of tension.
(09:27):
One rumor that gained serious traction claimed her in laws
deliberately excluded her from family gatherings by speaking in English,
knowing she wasn't fluent, and once she started catching on,
they supposedly switched to French to keep her in the dark.
It painted a picture of a household more interested in
power plays than genuine family bonding. Years later, in two
thousand and nine, Hun Jong clarified that this rumor wasn't
(09:48):
entirely true. She clarified that the language barrier did exist,
especially early on, but insisted the stories about her being
ostracized were exaggerated. According to her, her former in laws
were well educated and digni people, not the cold, calculating
figures the media had made them out to be. Still,
by the time she spoke out, public opinion had already
run wild. Although this particular rumor was cleared up, it's
(10:10):
undeniable that Hunjong was.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Never truly embraced by the chable world.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Nettison speculated that she was constantly judged, looked down on,
and treated as an outsider who didn't meet the refined,
conservative image required of a Samsung daughter in law. After
eight years of marriage, the relationship came to a formal
end in two thousand and three, but the emotional toll
was far greater than the paperwork suggested. The truth is
that Hyunjong didn't just lose her marriage. She also lost
(10:34):
custody of both of her children, a daughter and a son,
and was allegedly prohibited from seeing them. After eight years
of trying to fit into a world built on legacy
and image, she left with absolutely nothing, no husband, no career,
and most painfully, no custody of her children. The only
thing she reportedly walked away with was a one point
five billion one settlement, and amount that, while big on paper,
(10:55):
felt less like compensation and more like hush money, meant
to keep her quiet and out of the picture. But
money couldn't buy back her career, and it certainly couldn't
fix her reputation. To some, she had already crossed a
line by giving up acting at the peak of her success,
but returning to the industry as a divorced woman after
years of silence made it even harder. Public sympathy was mixed,
and within Korea's conservative media landscape, the label of divorce
(11:18):
chable wife became a symbol that continued to haunt her.
Of course, nedicens were also questioning why her marriage fell apart,
and let's just say the reports weren't looking good for her.
Several sources claimed that Hunjung's late night outings and independent
behavior clashed with the image the family wanted to protect. Reportedly,
they were completely done with her when a Portia sports
car owned by Shinsegai was stolen under suspicious circumstances. Hunjung
(11:40):
claimed the car had been taken at three am from
Han River Park after she briefly stepped away with the
key still inside. But as her story changed in interviews,
the media began to ask questions why was she out
alone at that hour, who was she with, and why
was she using a company owned luxury car in the
first place. It was said that for a family obsessed
with control, image and discretion, and the embarrassment was too much,
(12:01):
eventually resulting in divorce. The aftermath was equally terrible, as
rumors started spreading that her in laws were trying to
erase her completely. People in the industry claimed Shinsege quietly
blacklisted her after the divorce. Hyun Jong had once been everywhere.
She modeled for top brands, was featured in department stores,
and was the face of luxury beauty products, But after
the split, her photos disappeared, her ads were replaced, and
(12:24):
her name wasn't to.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Be found anywhere.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
It was like she'd been cut out of the picture entirely,
as if her time as a chable daughter in law
had never happened. Although Hyun Jong eventually made her way
back into the industry, the weight of her past has
never fully left her. In a later interview, she opened
up about the real reason behind her struggles, admitting that
being so young at the time, she didn't fully grasp
what marring into a chable family really meant. From the start,
(12:47):
she was accused of being a gold digger, something she
denied with frustration. She spoke fondly of her ex husband,
saying he had a polished sense of humor. He is
a nice and really cool person. He wasn't cocky about
the fact that he was power. He was funny, and
we complimented each other well. In fact, she even admitted
she would marry him again if it weren't for his
table status. Reflecting on the past, she recognized that the
(13:09):
problem wasn't the relationship itself, it was being unable to
live up to the expectations of the role she was
stepping into. Explaining this, she said, if I had learned
more and had met him when I was a bit
more polished, I think I would have been able to
live up to expectations. But I think I wasn't able
to then. So whether it's Bujin's custody battle or Hyunjong's
exile from the conglomerate, it's safe to say that being
(13:30):
part of Korea's most powerful family has its downsides, and
now with Annie stepping into the spotlight, it seems like
all eyes are on her while she attempts to break
free from the conglomerates control
Ever since she became a trainee, Annie Moon stood out
in the K pop scene, and unfortunately this had very
little to do with her abilities. Instead, Netison's focused on
her background, as she shockingly comes from an elite chabol family,
and not just any as most no. She's directly tied
to the powerful Samsung Empire, and behind the image of
generational wealth lies a tangled web of family, drama and controversy. Annie,
(00:21):
whose full name is Moonsho yun, has been drawing serious
attention from nediicin since she stepped into the spotlight. As
the eldest daughter of Shinsegay president Chung Yuk yung and
former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Moonsung wook, Annie
represents a unique intersection of entertainment and elite family legacy.
Her great grandfather founded Samsung, placing her firmly within South
Korea's fourth generation Cha bowl class. Annie trained with the
(00:44):
Black Label for several years and was widely expected to
debut with their highly anticipated girl group Miau. Her name
had circulated in online forms and speculative lineups for months,
and early photos of her in practice rooms with trainees
only seemed to confirm it. But in May twenty twenty four,
that trajectory took an unexpected turn. On May eleventh, the
Black Label officially announced that Annie would not be part
(01:05):
of Maao, just one day after Korean media claimed she'd.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Been dropped for personal reasons.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
The sudden change left many assuming she had quietly stepped
away from the idle path altogether. Given her background growing
up in wealth surrounded by executives and institutions, most people
only read about the idea of enduring the hyper competitive,
physically demanding life of a trainee felt incompatible from the start.
Some fans half joked that she had simply realized she
was richer than any idle could ever dream of being
(01:32):
and decided it wasn't worth the trade off. But against
all expectations, Annie didn't walk away. Instead, she found her
place in a different lineup and in a very different concept.
She made her debut under the Black Label as part
of the five member co ed group All Day Project,
marking a first for the K pop industry. A member
of one of Korea's most influential business dynasties, officially joining
(01:52):
the idle world with academic credentials from Columbia University and
rumors of her entertainment ambitions circulating since last year, Annie's
transition into music has been closely watched by everyone. As
a result, Netisen's have been digging deeper into her family's history,
uncovering some uncomfortable stories. Annie herself hasn't shied away from
discussing her background, and in fact, she's been surprisingly candid
(02:14):
about the pressure that came with it. During a recent
appearance with All Day Project on Big Bang Day Sung's
YouTube show, Annie opened up about the decade long uphill
battle it took to convince her family to let her
pursue idle life, a decision that, by their standards, probably
seemed like a detour from a predestined executive role in
the family business. According to Annie, her family was one
hundred percent against it when she first brought up the
(02:36):
idea of becoming an idol. For ten years, she pushed
back against that disapproval, insisting that her passion wasn't just
a phase. Eventually, they gave her a condition. If she
got into an Ivy League school, they'd allow her to
pursue becoming an idol, and that's exactly what she did
as she earned her place at Columbia University in New
York City. So if anyone was wondering where those Ivy
League credentials came from, now you know they were the
(02:58):
price of her freedom. When Day's Hung asked if her
family truly backed off once she got in, Annie left
and said they didn't really have a choice, as the
deal had already been made, and just like that, what
might have been the end of a dream became the
beginning of a career. Unfortunately, Annie's journey to the stage
might be the least controversial story linked to the Samsung conglomerate,
as the family is no stranger to public scandal. The
(03:20):
empire has long been entangled in political controversies, most notably
when Aily Jayong was convicted of bribery and embezzlement for
his role in the massive corruption case that brought down
former president Park Gunhai. Even after multiple prison sentences, he
was granted a presidential pardon, supposedly to help improve the
economy after the pandemic. But there's no focus on politics
(03:40):
today because when it comes to the Samsung family, the
real chaos often plays out inside their own homes, from
messi divorces to inheritance lawsuits and marriages that make headlines
for all the wrong reasons. The family has developed a
reputation not just for power, but for dysfunction. One of
the most infamous romantic scandals tied to the Samsung legacy
comes from Annie's own extended family, specifically Lee Bujin, known
(04:02):
in business circles as Little Lee Kunhi for her sharp
leadership style and striking resemblance to her late father, the
longtime Samsung chairman. Boujin built a reputation as one of
South Korea's most powerful business women, but when it came
to love, her story took a turn that no one
in high society expected. In nineteen ninety nine, she shocked
the nation by marrying in Wu Jay, a man who,
depending on which version of the story you believe, was
(04:24):
either a technical staffer or her former bodyguard. Either way,
the pairing of a chable heiress and an ordinary employee
instantly captured the public's imagination. The media called it a
real life Cinderella story, and it even went on to
inspire elements of the hit K drama Queen of Tears.
But just like in the drama, the.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Marriage was far from perfect.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Behind closed doors, what started as a fairy tale quickly
spiraled into something much darker. According to Wujay, the relationship
was never meant to turn into marriage in the first place.
He allegedly tried to reject the idea when Boujin first
brought it up, saying the gap between their family backgrounds
was too big, but when Samsung's chairman, Boujin's his father
personally encouraged him to go through with it, he felt
(05:03):
there was no real choice. In a table dynasty like Samsung,
when the head of the empire speaks, it's more than
just advice, it's simply a command. After the wedding, Wujay
was sent to the US to study, reportedly to earn
the kind of credentials that would make him a more
acceptable match, but the plan quickly.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Turned into a nightmare.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
He didn't speak English, had never lived abroad, and was
suddenly expected to adapt to one of the most elite
academic environments in the world behind closed doors. The emotional
toll was immense. He later described that period as one
of the darkest of his life. Things got so bad
he wanted to take his own life. He once collapsed
in tears in front of Boujin, unable to handle the
pressure anymore. While he managed to complete his studies at MIT,
(05:42):
the emotional and psychological damage from years of trying to
prove his worth never really faded. Eventually, their marriage fell
apart too, as Boujin officially filed for divorce in twenty fourteen.
The legal battle was anything but easy for Wujay, as
her legal team painted him as a man who wasted
time drinking, failed academically, and was aggressive of behind closed doors.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
He insisted these.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Claims were part of a calculated effort to destroy his
credibility and ensure he'd be pushed out of both the
marriage and his child's life. The custody battle that followed
is the most disturbing part of this story. While the
divorce made enough headlines, it was the years that followed
that were the real issue. According to Wujay, his access
to his son was severely limited. His son, just a
third grader at the time, wasn't allowed to visit him freely,
(06:24):
and had reportedly been kept away from his paternal grandparents
for nearly a decade. His own mother, he claimed, had
only seen her grandson once on his first birthday. It
wasn't until a court injunction was granted that Wujay's father
was able to see his grandson's face again. Wujay described
the situation as suffocating.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
His son didn't have.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
A phone, and people were reportedly assigned to monitor.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
His movements and communications.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Making direct contact almost impossible. Even when he tried to call,
the calls wouldn't go through. He eventually had to accept
the reality that for years he'd been sidelined from his
son's life, not as a result of his own choices,
but by systems and power far beyond his control. What
made everything worse is that Bujin's legal team allegedly continued
to portray him as the problem in court. They claimed
(07:06):
the child didn't want to see him, and that the
reduced visitation schedule, cut down to just once a month,
reflected that discomfort. Wuji pushed back, saying the court was
being fed a distorted version of events and that the
child's distance wasn't organic, but that it was created by
the Samsung family. To him, the image being crafted in court,
that of a negligent, greedy, and violent man, didn't align
(07:26):
with the reality he lived. He argued that if any
of those claims were true, the dozens of household staff
who moved in and out of their small apartment would
have witnessed something, but no such evidence ever surfaced. Eventually,
he was finally able to take his son on a
brief camping trip to chun Chung, a small step toward
rebuilding a fractured bond. He said things between them had
begun to feel natural again. Another even more controversial marriage
(07:48):
within the Samsung conglomerate that made headlines for all the
wrong reasons was between beloved actress Kohun Jung and Samsung
R Chung Yong Jin. On paper, it seemed like a
dream pairing. She was one of Korea's fastest rising stars,
fresh off a breakout role that threw her into national fame,
and he was the ultra wealthy grandson of the Samsung Empire,
serving as vice chairman of the Shinsega Group. When they
(08:09):
tied the knot in nineteen ninety five, the public was
convinced that Hun Jong had it all beauty, fame and
now a golden ticket into one of the most powerful
families in the country. But behind the glossy headlines and
billion one wedding budget was a story that quickly.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Turned into something far more devastating. Hyunjong gave up.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Her entire career to step into her new role as
a chable wife, announcing her retirement from the entertainment industry
just as her popularity was peaking. At only twenty two
years old, she disappeared from the spotlight. But instead of
stepping into a life of luxury, she walked into what
would become one of the hardest chapters of her life.
Although what was to come was anything but cute, the
way the couple met is a story straight out of
(08:46):
a romance drama. At the time, Hyunjong was in New
York for an event at the Winter Garden Theater, struggling
to find her seat because of the language barrier.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
That's when Yongjin.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Stepped into help, a moment that seemed small at the
time but ended up changing the.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Course of her life.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
They started dating shortly after, and two years later, Korea's
rising star was marrying into one of the richest families.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
In the country.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
The catch was, however, that Hunjung didn't just marry into wealth,
she married into the weight and expectations of an empire.
The marriage was anything but easy, and that wasn't necessarily
due to Hunjung's relationship with her husband, but rather her
rocky connection to her in laws. According to widespread reports
at the time, the cultural and social gap between her
and her in laws quickly became a major point of tension.
(09:27):
One rumor that gained serious traction claimed her in laws
deliberately excluded her from family gatherings by speaking in English,
knowing she wasn't fluent, and once she started catching on,
they supposedly switched to French to keep her in the dark.
It painted a picture of a household more interested in
power plays than genuine family bonding. Years later, in two
thousand and nine, Hun Jong clarified that this rumor wasn't
(09:48):
entirely true. She clarified that the language barrier did exist,
especially early on, but insisted the stories about her being
ostracized were exaggerated. According to her, her former in laws
were well educated and digni people, not the cold, calculating
figures the media had made them out to be. Still,
by the time she spoke out, public opinion had already
run wild. Although this particular rumor was cleared up, it's
(10:10):
undeniable that Hunjong was.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Never truly embraced by the chable world.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Nettison speculated that she was constantly judged, looked down on,
and treated as an outsider who didn't meet the refined,
conservative image required of a Samsung daughter in law. After
eight years of marriage, the relationship came to a formal
end in two thousand and three, but the emotional toll
was far greater than the paperwork suggested. The truth is
that Hyunjong didn't just lose her marriage. She also lost
(10:34):
custody of both of her children, a daughter and a son,
and was allegedly prohibited from seeing them. After eight years
of trying to fit into a world built on legacy
and image, she left with absolutely nothing, no husband, no career,
and most painfully, no custody of her children. The only
thing she reportedly walked away with was a one point
five billion one settlement, and amount that, while big on paper,
(10:55):
felt less like compensation and more like hush money, meant
to keep her quiet and out of the picture. But
money couldn't buy back her career, and it certainly couldn't
fix her reputation. To some, she had already crossed a
line by giving up acting at the peak of her success,
but returning to the industry as a divorced woman after
years of silence made it even harder. Public sympathy was mixed,
and within Korea's conservative media landscape, the label of divorce
(11:18):
chable wife became a symbol that continued to haunt her.
Of course, nedicens were also questioning why her marriage fell apart,
and let's just say the reports weren't looking good for her.
Several sources claimed that Hunjung's late night outings and independent
behavior clashed with the image the family wanted to protect. Reportedly,
they were completely done with her when a Portia sports
car owned by Shinsegai was stolen under suspicious circumstances. Hunjung
(11:40):
claimed the car had been taken at three am from
Han River Park after she briefly stepped away with the
key still inside. But as her story changed in interviews,
the media began to ask questions why was she out
alone at that hour, who was she with, and why
was she using a company owned luxury car in the
first place. It was said that for a family obsessed
with control, image and discretion, and the embarrassment was too much,
(12:01):
eventually resulting in divorce. The aftermath was equally terrible, as
rumors started spreading that her in laws were trying to
erase her completely. People in the industry claimed Shinsege quietly
blacklisted her after the divorce. Hyun Jong had once been everywhere.
She modeled for top brands, was featured in department stores,
and was the face of luxury beauty products, But after
the split, her photos disappeared, her ads were replaced, and
(12:24):
her name wasn't to.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Be found anywhere.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
It was like she'd been cut out of the picture entirely,
as if her time as a chable daughter in law
had never happened. Although Hyun Jong eventually made her way
back into the industry, the weight of her past has
never fully left her. In a later interview, she opened
up about the real reason behind her struggles, admitting that
being so young at the time, she didn't fully grasp
what marring into a chable family really meant. From the start,
(12:47):
she was accused of being a gold digger, something she
denied with frustration. She spoke fondly of her ex husband,
saying he had a polished sense of humor. He is
a nice and really cool person. He wasn't cocky about
the fact that he was power. He was funny, and
we complimented each other well. In fact, she even admitted
she would marry him again if it weren't for his
table status. Reflecting on the past, she recognized that the
(13:09):
problem wasn't the relationship itself, it was being unable to
live up to the expectations of the role she was
stepping into. Explaining this, she said, if I had learned
more and had met him when I was a bit
more polished, I think I would have been able to
live up to expectations. But I think I wasn't able
to then. So whether it's Bujin's custody battle or Hyunjong's
exile from the conglomerate, it's safe to say that being
(13:30):
part of Korea's most powerful family has its downsides, and
now with Annie stepping into the spotlight, it seems like
all eyes are on her while she attempts to break
free from the conglomerates control
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