Jeong Hye-won, the former wife of mixed martial arts fighter Bae Myeong-ho, who became widely known after appearing on KBS2's "1 Night 2 Days" in 2018, said she has begun legal proceedings, alleging unpaid child support and a failure to honor agreements made at the time of their divorce.
On the 18th, Jeong posted a lengthy six-page statement on her social networking service (SNS), saying, "I have decided that now is the time to speak about what happened in relation to my personal life, so I am posting this statement." She also revealed her legal representative and asked that all related inquiries be directed to her law firm. She added that anyone who knows the facts or has information to share should contact her through direct message on SNS.
In her statement, Jeong said, "I want to say that legal proceedings have now begun over several unresolved issues," adding, "This is not a post meant to attack anyone or stir public opinion. I am explaining why I can no longer delay seeking a legal judgment on problems that have remained unresolved for a long time."
According to Jeong, the conflict between the two had continued throughout their marriage. She claimed that she had to clean up and deal with problems caused by the other party's repeated issues in daily life. She said she even recommended professional treatment to resolve the matter, but the same problems kept recurring and there were also incidents that undermined trust between the couple.
Jeong specifically referred to June 2024, when their child, then 17 months old, was repeatedly hospitalized and discharged for pneumonia. She claimed, "At the most difficult time, the other party suddenly left the family, and I did not even know why," adding, "Right after leaving home, the other party continued living freely, traveling abroad, going to parties, and taking vacations, and kept posting about it on SNS."
Jeong explained that she and her family tried several times to persuade him to return, including visiting him in person and asking him to accompany the child to the hospital, but he ultimately did not come back. She said the two later ended their marriage through an amicable divorce.
However, Jeong said the conflict continued even after the divorce. The two had agreed to raise their child together until the end and fulfill their responsibilities as parents, but those promises were not kept. Jeong stated, "I am currently pursuing legal judgments on the ongoing nonpayment of child support, the failure to carry out the terms agreed upon at the time of divorce, the various financial burdens including the other party's personal debts that I had to resolve on his behalf, and the many issues that arose during our marriage and in the process of its breakdown."
She also spoke about the child, saying the child had waited for his father and had to feel disappointed every time a promised visit did not happen. "At some point, it became normal for Dad not to come," she said. She claimed that nothing changed for more than a year. Jeong said Bae had promised to resolve various financial issues before and after his fights, but after winning a match, he posted photos of an overseas trip on SNS and has since avoided contact, child support payments, and fulfilling the agreement. She added, "More than the glamorous image of that life, I wanted the responsibility for our child and the obligations we promised each other to be kept first." She continued, "I do not believe that simply because someone has started a new life, the responsibilities and promises left behind disappear." In particular, she appeared to direct her remarks at Bae, saying, "Before talking about the habit of winning, I think the habit of keeping promises should come first." She added, "True strength is not proven in the ring; it begins with not turning away from responsibility."
She also said the child, who was 17 months old at the time, is now four years old. Jeong stated, "I will no longer endure alone or remain silent," adding, "I will do what I need to do to protect my life and my child's life, and I will gather the strength necessary to do so." She concluded by saying the statement was based on materials and evidence from the ongoing legal process, and asked people to refrain from unverified speculation or one-sided criticism.
However, the claims Jeong made in her statement are the position of her side in a matter that is currently under legal review, and the facts and legal conclusions are expected to be determined through the proceedings.
Meanwhile, Bae Myeong-ho is a mixed martial arts fighter who won the Welterweight title at the Legend Fighting Championship in 2011. In July 2018, he appeared as Yoon Dong-gu's partner on the Silmido special episode of KBS2's "Happy Sunday - 1 Night 2 Days Season 3," which also brought him into the public eye. Despite his intense appearance, he drew attention for his unexpected charm, introducing himself as a "triple A" blood type and revealing that he had studied piano for seven years.
He later announced in 2019 that he would marry a non-celebrity girlfriend he had dated for a long time, and his agency said at the time that the couple would hold their wedding on November 9 that year.
Jo Min-jung mj.cho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
