[Sooyoung's Instagram]
[Sooyoung's Instagram]

Sooyoung (36), a member of K-pop group Girls' Generation, made her first public appearance Saturday at a marathon held alongside visually impaired participants — her first official outing since news broke of her split with actor Jeong Kyung-ho (42) after 14 years together.

Sooyoung shared several photos on her Instagram account Saturday, writing, "This year too, #EoulimMarathon."

The photos showed her at the 12th Eoulim Marathon with the Visually Impaired, held at World Cup Park in Sangam-dong, Seoul. Dressed in an orange event T-shirt, Sooyoung beamed among the participants and took cheerful selfies with fellow celebrities including Sean, Da-young and Kwon Hyuk-su, radiating her trademark bright energy.

The event carried particular personal significance: Sooyoung's father, who is visually impaired, attended alongside her. He has been living with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare degenerative eye disease, for more than 15 years.

[Sooyoung's Instagram]
[Sooyoung's Instagram]

Sooyoung has long served as a goodwill ambassador for the Korea Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness and has been a leading advocate for the visually impaired and those living with hereditary retinal diseases. In 2023, she donated 300 million won (about $196,000) to fund research into treatments for vision-loss conditions.

News of her breakup with Jeong Kyung-ho became public June 9. The two had dated since 2012 and were widely celebrated as one of the entertainment industry's most enduring couples. Reports indicate they drifted apart as their individual careers took them in different directions.

Sooyoung, who has been expanding her career into acting, is set to take the stage as Portia in a production of "The Merchant of Venice," opening July 8.


paq@heraldcorp.com