Amid news that Girls' Generation member Choi Soo-young and actor Jung Kyung-ho have ended their 14-year relationship, past remarks by Choi about Jung being her first boyfriend are drawing renewed attention — as is a shaman's prediction of their breakup.
Both agencies confirmed Tuesday that Choi Soo-young and Jung Kyung-ho had parted ways after 14 years together, saying the two had naturally grown apart amid busy schedules.
Choi began dating Jung in 2012, and shortly after the couple went public in 2014, she appeared on the SBS variety program "Healing Camp, Aren't You Happy."
Choi, who was 22 at the time, said Jung was the first boyfriend she had ever dated. She candidly admitted that, because he was her first, she had not quite known what the feeling was supposed to be like.
She also spoke openly about the pressure of going public with the relationship while expressing genuine affection for Jung.
News that she had parted from her first-ever boyfriend after 14 years drew widespread disappointment from fans.
Some online commenters said they had expected the couple to eventually marry, calling the breakup a shame.
Others said it was unfortunate the relationship had not led to marriage after 14 years. Some suggested one or both parties had never seriously considered it; others said the relationship had simply gone on too long without a commitment.
The breakup has also brought renewed attention to a prediction made by a shaman six months ago.
Shaman Myeong Doryeong, in a blind spiritual reading posted to the YouTube channel "Good Shamans" in December, said the couple appeared to have dated for a long time and seemed comfortable together like friends, but that he saw no marital bond between them. "It will be difficult for this to lead to marriage," he said. "A separation is coming, and I think they will break up before long."
He added that the woman wanted to marry but the man seemed to be avoiding the issue, held back by family matters and in no hurry to move forward. "If they do break up, marriage will come late for the man," he said, "but the woman has people waiting for her, and a marriage proposal will come her way soon after the split."
Meanwhile, Jung is preparing for his next project, while Choi is set to remain active on stage in the play "The Merchant of Venice."
yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com
