Fans of music legend Seo Taiji, the leader of hit group Seo Taiji and Boys, have gone from shocked to outraged in a time span of just 24 hours.
On April 21, Korea time, it was revealed to the public that the star had not only had a relationship, but had, in fact, been married to upcoming TV star Lee Ji-ha for 14 years. And that the two filed for divorce. Rumors spread like wildfire and it wasn’t until April 22 that the dust finally settled and most of the facts came to light.
Seo and Lee married in 1997 in the US, when they were 25 and 19. Seo had gone to America to study after his group disbanded and Lee had moved there in 1994 for education reasons. The two moved around, living in Georgia and Arizona, but they separated after Seo returned to Korea in 2000 to resume his music career. They filed for divorce in 2006 and it was finalized in 2009, but now Lee has filed an alimony lawsuit against Seo, asking for $4.6 million for her share of their properties during their marriage and for more than $460,000 in alimony. Rumor has it that Lee is currently in a relationship with her Athena co-star Jung Woo-sung and that the couple has two children, though Lee’s agency, KeyEast, has denied in an official statement released on April 21 that they have children.
KeyEast said the two split because of differences in personality and lifestyle and that Lee filed the lawsuit in January after the two could not come to a compromise in their divorce settlement.
Fans of both stars are in an uproar over the secrecy surrounding the relationship, saying they deceived the public. However, pop culture experts in Korea have stepped up to defend the stars’ decision and said it should be respected.
“Seo Taiji is the epitome of mystique and secrecy,” said Shim Jae-cheol, professor of media studies at Korea University to Korean media. “He may have wanted to stay mysterious forever. And in the 1990s, it wasn’t considered as fashionable (for celebrities) to openly talk about marriage or relationships as it is today.”
Most experts say that when the couple first married, celebrities would often risk losing fans of the opposite sex if they revealed a relationship with anyone, regardless of whether it was with a fellow celebrity or just a regular person. Also, Seo Taiji has made a name for himself by being incredibly private and mysterious. It seems only fitting that he would keep his marriage a secret.
Other experts have said that the two were simply keeping their private life private, something that is seemingly impossible nowadays for celebrities, especially in Korea, where fans believe they have a right to know everything about their favorite stars. One expert, a professor from Kyung Hee University, said it is an abnormal situation for Seo and Lee, since they were simply trying to take control and keep their lives private, but fans criticize them for being deceptive.
But all experts agree that there should be certain limits for public discussion when it comes to marriage and divorce, even if public figures are involved, since they are personal decisions.
Source: Yonhap News
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