Hwang Jung-eum with her sons [Hwang Jung-eum's Instagram]
Hwang Jung-eum with her sons [Hwang Jung-eum's Instagram]

Actor Hwang Jung-eum has said she wants to spend all her wealth on her children's education and is preparing to send her two sons abroad to study.

Hwang shared the news Wednesday on her YouTube channel in a video titled "The day I had a tutoring interview for the first time in 17 years (feat. Junhyeok's mom)."

In the video, Hwang sat down with fellow actor Oh Hyun-kyung — her co-star from the MBC sitcom "Jibung Ttulgo Haikick" — to talk about raising children and education.

"I am someone who absolutely has to work hard," Hwang said. "My number one life goal is raising my sons well." She added that she wanted to put all her assets toward her children's education, calling it "so important," and said she was already beginning preparations to send them overseas to study.

Hwang then turned to Oh for advice, as Oh had experience sending her own daughter to study in the United States. Oh said that before committing to a full study-abroad program, her daughter spent about five years trying out various options — a winter-semester program, a homestay and a boarding school — before deciding she wanted to attend an American boarding school full time.

"Sending your child away is not an easy thing," Oh said. "If I were to do it again, I would want to go with her — to fill the void left by her absence."

Oh also offered practical advice, including securing funds when the exchange rate is favorable and carefully checking visa requirements.

Hwang married former golfer Lee Young-don in 2016, and the couple have two sons — the elder born in 2017 and the younger in 2022. Hwang publicly accused Lee of infidelity in 2024, and the two divorced the following year.

In March 2018, Hwang purchased a commercial building in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu through her family corporation Hunminjeongeum Entertainment for 6.25 billion won ($4.56 million), then sold it in October 2021 to a building-rental company in Daegu for 11 billion won — netting a gain of about 4.75 billion won. She also purchased a detached house in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul in May 2020 for about 4.6 billion won.


paq@heraldcorp.com