Actress Hwang Jung-eum is at the center of controversy over allegations of embezzlement of about 4.2 billion won, as her past statement filled with pride, “I have 1,000 times more money,” has resurfaced. Although Hwang Jung-eum has drawn attention with luxury dwellings, supercars, and shopping “flexes,” if all this was based on “embezzled funds,” the shock would be doubled.
In February, Hwang Jung-eum reported her second divorce from businessman Lee Young-don, a former professional golfer. Before the divorce announcement, she had been posting daily photos of her husband on social media, and after a netizen commented, “Rich men cheat,” she responded with a post implying that it was natural for her to also cheat, saying, “That’s life. I tolerated it once. I have 1,000 times more money. I earn more money, so it makes sense for me to cheat, doesn’t it?”
However, Hwang Jung-eum later created a stir by targeting a woman identified as C on social media as her husband’s mistress, but eventually bowed her head, saying, “I misunderstood an ordinary person unrelated to my husband.”
Amidst this, it has been revealed that Hwang Jung-eum has recently been indicted on embezzlement charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. Hwang Jung-eum is accused of embezzling about 700 million won in funds she received as advances from a company where she holds 100% equity and investing in cryptocurrencies, amounting to a total embezzlement of 4.3 billion won. It is reported that about 4.2 billion won of that was used for cryptocurrencies.
Moreover, Hwang Jung-eum showcased her affluent life through SBS Plus' “Because I’m Single” featuring a standalone dwelling in Itaewon worth about 4.6 billion won, a supercar worth over a billion won, and a “filial flex” where she bought clothes worth 2.17 million won for her father in a four-month installment plan, leading to renewed controversy over her past statements.
Netizens reacted with mixed feelings, saying, “So you really didn’t have a lot of money, but rather it was company funds?” and, “If you were boasting with embezzled money, that’s really chilling,” while others commented, “Since the specific timing of the embezzlement hasn’t been revealed, let’s not speculate further” and, “There must have been another reason for her pride at that time, so let’s not push too hard.”
Currently, Hwang Jung-eum is living with her two sons after her divorce while continuing her broadcasting activities. However, she had not provided a specific stance regarding the allegations until the afternoon of the same day, when she issued an official statement apologizing, saying, “I’m sorry for causing concern to many due to this embarrassing incident.”
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