Hwang Jung-min [promotional photo for the film "Hope"]
Hwang Jung-min [promotional photo for the film "Hope"]

A woman has sparked controversy by claiming she had an extramarital affair with actor Hwang Jung-min, who rebuffed the allegations and called her a stalker.

The woman, identified only as A, recently posted on Instagram claiming she had been in a secret relationship with Hwang.

A shared what she said were screenshots of messenger conversations, call logs and voice recordings between herself and Hwang, saying the two had maintained a private relationship over an extended period.

Among the content she released were messages purportedly from Hwang in which a man says he wants to hold her and that her messenger profile photo is "so cute."

A claims the inappropriate relationship lasted from August 2023 to late 2024. She says the two first met at a preview screening of "Smugglers" in July 2023 and exchanged contact information, then had their first drinks together at a bar in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, in August of that year. She also says they met and drank at Incheon Airport in September 2023 before Hwang departed for Romania. A says they met twice more after that, though the two are said not to have had sexual relations.

A also claimed Hwang proposed a joint project but then unilaterally backed out. In February, she filed a damages lawsuit against him seeking about 200 million won ($136,000).

A says she and Hwang lost all contact in May last year.

Hwang's side maintains that A is a stalker. His representatives say he filed a complaint against her in August last year under the Stalking Punishment Act.

Courts issued three separate restraining orders against A, and earlier this year a summary order imposing a fine of 3 million won was handed down. A has denied the stalking charges and in February requested a formal trial.

Hwang's agency, Sam Company, said the phone call recordings A released were "maliciously edited posts" and announced it would "take further legal action."


paq@heraldcorp.com