After the MeToo controversy that ended with his death, actress the late Jo Min-gi's wife and first-generation makeup artist Kim Seon-jin returned to broadcasting after about seven years and shared an update on her condition. When news of daughter Jo Yoon-kyung's wedding followed, online reactions were mixed between encouragements saying "congratulations" and comments asking "did this need to be made public?".
In the recently released Coupang Play variety show "Just Makeup," Kim Seon-jin appeared as a contestant. She burst into tears even before beginning her makeup explanation, and judge Lee Sa-bae also choked up and reddened her eyes. In fact, the two had a deep connection. When Lee Sa-bae first joined the shop, Kim Seon-jin was the owner. Lee Sa-bae said, "She was the owner then. Meeting now from different positions, feelings rose up in layers."
Kim Seon-jin said, "I lost confidence because I was away from practical work for a long time, but what I learned with my body isn't forgotten," sharing her feelings about standing as a makeup artist again after a long time. Although she was ultimately eliminated, her presence stood out even more after the broadcast.
This is because of the stigma-by-association linked to her husband the late Jo Min-gi's "MeToo incident." Jo Min-gi issued an apology after allegations of sexual harassment were raised in 2018 by students in the theater department at Cheongju University, and on March 9, three days before an investigation, he took his own life. Even after the case closed with no grounds for prosecution, his family had to endure wounds for a long time. Kim Seon-jin was once criticized even for a photo she posted at his gravesite on his birthday.
#.daughter Jo Yoon-kyung wedding news…update after 7 years
Before these complicated feelings had fully settled, Kim Seon-jin shared wedding photos of her daughter Jo Yoon-kyung on social media. She left the message, "Be pretty, very pretty, may you be happy for a long, long time. Congratulations, my love."
In the photos, Jo Yoon-kyung showed off a distinctive charm by pairing a wedding dress with an elaborate bouquet and black boots, and the groom-to-be drew attention with a warm visual. Broadcaster Ahn Seon-young commented, "The little one is already getting married… make sure to send an invitation," leaving a congratulatory comment.
Jo Yoon-kyung became known after appearing on SBS "Please Look After My Dad" in 2015 with her father the late Jo Min-gi, and she became a topic of conversation for her impressive academic background, including graduating from the Illinois Institute of Technology and entering graduate school at Princeton. However, when the MeToo controversy erupted in 2018, she said, "I made my social media private because I was worried victims might be hurt." Her whereabouts were not known thereafter, and the news of her marriage was reported seven years later.
#. "Do we really need to know?" vs. "Stop stigma by association"…public opinion divided
When Kim Seon-jin's return to broadcasting and Jo Yoon-kyung's wedding news were released one after another, netizen reactions split distinctly into two. "I support her standing up again after overcoming personal pain," "Should a husband's crime forever bind his family's life?" "Stop stigma by association now. Let people live their own lives," came voices of support, while many expressed discomfort. "The case was so shocking that the family's return to variety shows is still premature," "Did they really need to make the wedding news public?" and similar reactions.
Kim Seon-jin stood again on stage as a makeup artist in her field, but the label "Jo Min-gi's family" still remains. Yet her return to broadcasting and Jo Yoon-kyung's wedding news ultimately send the message that "family life continues." Even amid the heated online debate, there is no small number of supporters hoping the family will heal from long-standing wounds and return to their respective places.
[photo] SNS, broadcast screen, OSEN DB,
[OSEN]