Park Han-byul is making her return to entertainment after 6 years, recently drawing attention for clarifying divorce rumors regarding her husband.
Park Han-byul will grant her appearance in TV Chosun's entertainment program "Dad and I" Season 2 after 6 years since the Burning Sun controversy involving her husband, Yoo In-seok.
The "Dad and I" team stated, "Actress Park Han-byul will grant her appearance on 'Dad and I,'" and noted, "The recording has already been completed, and she will reveal her daily life with her father. However, the broadcast date is still under discussion."
The upcoming show "Dad and I 2," premiering on the 11th, is a program where a father and child, who feel close but at times feel far apart from each other, can share their grievances and take time to understand and forgive each other. Park Han-byul is the only daughter of former soccer player Park Chae-hwa, whose father has served as a coach for the Seongji Middle and High School soccer team, E-budget FC, and the Seoul City Hall team. Interest is rising as the father-daughter duo has rarely appeared together in entertainment programs.
It took Park Han-byul a full 6 years to return to entertainment. After marrying Yoo In-seok, former CEO of Yuri Holdings, in 2017 and giving birth to a son, she led a happy family life. However, after Yoo In-seok was embroiled in allegations of soliciting prostitution and involved in the 'Burning Sun Gate' in 2019, he was sentenced to 1 year in prison with a 3-year probation the following year.
At that time, Park Han-byul expressed regret, stating, "I thought I couldn't separate the past actions of the person I would spend my life with from my own, but since a current investigation is ongoing, I was in a very cautious position about saying anything. I apologize."
Due to her husband's Burning Sun controversy, Park Han-byul suspended her activities in the entertainment industry and could not pursue her primary career as an actress. The last work she did was the MBC drama "Loving When Sad" in 2019. Coincidentally, this drama aired when the controversy involving her husband erupted, and amidst intense backlash for her to step down, she managed to complete the project until its conclusion. After the drama ended, she organized her home in Seoul and began a life in Jeju with her son.
After moving to Jeju, Park Han-byul opened a café and transformed into a business owner, living a second life while gradually communicating through social media. In October 2021, she hinted at the possibility of returning as an actress by re-signing with her former agency, EL Park. The agency also stated, "We are thinking of actively supporting her. We want to see Park Han-byul act again," but it was not as easy as it sounded, and ultimately, the exclusive contract ended quietly.
In 2023, Park Han-byul launched her personal YouTube channel, and in December 2024, she signed an exclusive contract with a new agency, Chan Entertainment, announcing her full-scale return to activity. She emphasized that she would also return to her primary career as an actress through short-form dramas. Additionally, with her participation in "Dad and I" this time, her comeback to entertainment after 6 years has been confirmed.
Alongside this, Park Han-byul invited her longtime friend, comedian Hong In-kyu, to her YouTube channel in November of last year and mentioned her husband Yoo In-seok's current status.
Park Han-byul initially asked, "Is there anything you wanted to ask but couldn't regarding the issue with my husband?" Hong In-kyu cautiously replied, "Is it okay to talk about this? The relationship between a couple is the most important, so are you on good terms with your husband? Are you perhaps considering a separation? Fortunately, you both seem to be doing well together," which led Park Han-byul to clarify rumors around their divorce, saying, "That's the answer I already know."
Hong In-kyu commented, "Han-byul is smart, so I thought, 'Nothing happened. It resolved well,'" and Park Han-byul responded, "I'm keeping an eye on him with both my eyes," making a gesture to emphasize her vigilance over her husband. To this, Hong In-kyu replied, "It seems we don't know the whole story," and Park Han-byul expressed gratitude, saying, "You trusted me?"
As Park Han-byul makes her return to entertainment with her father, a soccer coach, after 6 years, there is growing interest in whether she will openly share the emotional struggles she faced during the Burning Sun incident and the hard times over the years.
[Photo] OSEN DB, 'Park Han-byul Hana' screen capture
[OSEN]