T-ara's Jiyeon and baseball star Hwang Jae-gyun confirm divorce

Jiyeon of girl group T-ara, left, and baseball player Hwang Jae-gyun [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
Jiyeon of girl group T-ara and baseball player Hwang Jae-gyun have filed for divorce, the singer's attorney confirmed Saturday.
 
"The two parties could not overcome their differences and decided to file for divorce after spending some time apart," said Jiyeon's attorney Choi Yu-na of Lawfirm Taesung.
 

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They have requested an intermediary from the Seoul Family Court in southern Seoul, indicating they will not pursue legal suits against each other.
 
"We are sorry to share this bad news," Choi said. "We ask for your understanding regarding the belated announcement. We hope to return with better news in the future."
 
The couple tied the knot in December 2022 after announcing their relationship on their Instagram accounts in February 2022.
 

Jiyeon of girl group T-ara, right, and singer IU at Jiyeon's wedding in December 2022 [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
News of the couple's conflict was first reported in June this year when a baseball commentator remarked, "Did you know that Hwang Jae-gyun is getting a divorce?" on the radio. The two denied the news, but rumors persisted, fueled by online posts claiming to have spotted Hwang hanging out at bars late at night with friends.
 
Hwang is a professional baseball infielder for the KT Wiz. He made his KBO debut in 2007 with the Hyundai Unicorns. From 2008 to 2010, Hwang played for the Heroes franchise before being traded to the Lotte Giants later in 2010, where he continued to play through 2016. In 2016, Hwang became a free agent and signed a contract with the San Francisco Giants. He joined the KT Wiz in 2018, three years after the club entered the KBO.
 
Jiyeon debuted in 2009 as a member of T-ara. The group has released hit songs like “Bo Peep Bo Peep” (2009), “Roly-Poly” (2011) and “Cry Cry” (2012). They recently released the EP “Re: T-ara” in November 2021. Jiyeon has starred in various popular television shows, including KBS’ “Master of Study” (2010) and KBS’ “Dream High 2” (2021).
 
As of Saturday, the two have removed photos of each other from their Instagram accounts.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]