Group UN alum singer Choi Jeong-won has shaken off the stigma of an alleged affair after two years. The court ruled that it is "difficult to recognize that an improper act was committed" in relation to Choi Jeong-won and A, who was accused of having an affair with her.
On the 22nd, A's legal representative, attorney Noh Jong-eon of law firm Jonjae, said, "On Sept. 19, 2025, the Seoul High Court, in the appeal trial of the divorce lawsuit between A and her husband, ruled that the relationship between the two did not constitute an improper act and that the responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage lay with the husband's coercive attitude, overturning the first-instance ruling."
The affair allegation involving Choi Jeong-won and A surfaced in 2023. A's husband, B, said on a YouTube channel that Choi Jeong-won and A had inappropriate meetings that led to the breakdown of the marriage. B claimed that A and Choi Jeong-won had been former lovers and recently had dates, including drinking wine together and enjoying bicycle rides.
Choi Jeong-won explained her relationship with A by saying, "She is not a former lover; she is a younger neighbor whom our families have known closely since childhood." Choi also refuted the claims, saying, "Her name appeared on KakaoTalk after a long time, and I contacted her to say hello out of gladness, and we had two or three meals together, but we mostly talked about family, work, and kids — everyday pleasantries — and there was absolutely none of the unsavory behavior described in the article."
A also insisted on her innocence, saying, "I was never in a romantic relationship with Choi Jeong-won. We have been close like siblings since our 20s, and I was happy to reconnect after more than a decade. My parents and older sister have known Choi Jeong-won for a long time."
However, in December last year, the Seoul Family Court in A and B's divorce case said, "The main responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage lies with A, who violated the duty of fidelity and committed an improper act. She went alone into Choi Jeong-won's home and spent time there, told the defendant (B) that she would go out with the child (the son) and then left the child alone at an arcade, and on June 18, 2022, met with Choi Jeong-won to exercise together and date, thereby committing an improper act. When the defendant learned of this around June of that year, the conflict between the plaintiff and the defendant deepened," and ordered A to pay B 30 million won in compensation.
But in the appeal trial, the panel overturned the first-instance judgment after carefully examining the facts. The court explained, "It is difficult to recognize that the plaintiff (A) and Choi Jeong-won engaged in an improper act as defined in Article 840(1) of the Civil Code by going beyond a simple acquaintance to acts that would constitute a breach of the duty of fidelity and thereby cause the marriage to break down. Rather, it is reasonable to find that the marriage broke down because the defendant (the husband) consistently took a coercive attitude toward the plaintiff and others in the process of resolving the conflicts that arose."
A's legal representative, attorney Noh Jong-eon, said, "After the first-instance ruling, A endured immeasurable suffering under the social stigma of being called an 'adulteress.' As a result, her health seriously deteriorated, making it difficult to continue working, and she is still fighting a severe illness day by day for her child," and added, "We earnestly hope that the social stigma and tarnished reputation A has suffered will be restored, even if only a little."
With the first-instance ruling overturned, Choi Jeong-won has also been able to clear herself of the affair allegations. She has countersued B for defamation and violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection. It remains to be seen whether Choi Jeong-won, who shed the stigma of an alleged affair after two years, can restore her reputation and return to the public eye.
[OSEN]