Actresses Tied to Scandal: Park Hanbyul and Jang Shinyoung’s TV Comebacks Divide Viewers

Actresses Jang Shin-young and Park Han-byul are drawing mixed reactions over their return to television through family-oriented variety shows, due to past controversies involving their husbands.

Jang Shin-young is currently appearing on KBS 2TV’s Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant, while Park Han-byul recently made a comeback on TV Chosun’s Dad and Me. Both actresses’ husbands have previously been involved in public scandals that left lasting impressions on viewers, causing discomfort among some members of the public regarding their appearances on family-centered programs.

Jang Shin-young’s Controversy

Jang’s husband, actor Kang Kyung-joon, was accused in January 2023 of having an extramarital affair with a non-celebrity woman. He was sued by the woman’s husband for approximately 50 million KRW in damages. The lawsuit ended in July when Kang accepted the plaintiff’s claims through a legal admission.

Kang later said through legal representation that while there were parts he wished to explain, he ultimately decided to bear the criticism as his own fault. Jang later posted on Instagram that she had endured unspeakable pain but chose to forgive Kang for the sake of their children and rebuild their family.

Her return to variety shows was swift. In October 2023, she appeared on My Little Old Boy, stating, “I have no regrets about my choice.” She officially resumed activities in January 2024 through Fun-Staurant, appearing alongside her second son, which led to backlash for exposing her child to the public again—especially since past reruns of their appearance on The Return of Superman had been removed from streaming platforms.

Park Han-byul’s Comeback

Park Han-byul returned to television on April 1 through Dad and Me, after a six-year hiatus since the Burning Sun nightclub scandal involving her husband, Yoo In-seok. On the show, Park spoke candidly about staying with her husband despite her mother-in-law suggesting divorce, saying it was the best decision for her child. She described her past life as “hellish” and admitted feeling immense guilt and fear about returning to broadcast.

Her father also opened up about the psychological toll the scandal had on him, including social anxiety and depression. Park recalled sensing his pain even in silence. She expressed on the show that appearing on TV again was “scary and guilt-ridden.”

Public Reaction and Ethical Debate

Criticism has continued particularly over the inclusion of their children in these programs. For Jang, some viewers felt that featuring her child again—despite previous backlash—was inappropriate and suggested she was using her family life to justify personal decisions. Her appearance became more about her private life than her culinary skills, leading to questions about the production team's motives for casting her.

For Park, while she herself was not implicated in the Burning Sun scandal, her husband's involvement in the major social controversy made her return polarizing—especially in a family variety show format. Many argue that public figures should be held to higher moral standards, given their influence.

Some viewers sympathize, believing it’s unfair to place full moral responsibility on spouses. However, others argue that marriage is a shared moral space, and in Korean society, the public often expects spouses to bear moral accountability by association, making it hard for celebrities to escape criticism.

As long as the public vividly remembers the controversies surrounding their husbands, many find it difficult to accept the actresses' returns in family-themed shows—suggesting that the nature of their comeback projects should have been more thoughtfully considered.