Chae Ri-na Reflects on Traumatic Incident Before Marriage to Park Yong-geun

On the February 24 episode of TV CHOSUN's 조선의 사랑꾼 (Lovers of Joseon), singer Chae Ri-na opened up about a traumatic incident that occurred before her marriage to her husband, former baseball player Park Yong-geun, who is six years her junior. The couple revealed that they have been married for ten years without holding a wedding ceremony, sparking curiosity among viewers.

Chae Ri-na explained that the reason for not having a wedding was due to a significant accident involving Park Yong-geun. She shared, "We were originally like siblings, but after he went through a major incident, he expressed his feelings for me. My prayer was, 'Please save this friend,' and thankfully, he survived. We formed a bond through this experience, but we didn't want to draw attention to ourselves because there was a victim involved."

The 'major incident' Chae Ri-na referred to was a stabbing incident that took place in 2012 at a bar in Gangnam, Seoul. This tragic event resulted in the death of Kim Sung-soo's ex-wife, a member of the mixed group Cool, due to excessive bleeding, while Park Yong-geun suffered severe injuries, including the removal of 44% of his liver. Despite being in a critical condition, he miraculously survived the surgery.

Chae Ri-na recalled, "Before the surgery, the diagnosis was a 99% chance of death." Park Yong-geun added, "It was a huge incident, and everyone involved was affected. Initially, I had trauma from the event and have since avoided crowded places." Chae Ri-na expressed feelings of guilt, saying, "If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have been there that day. Thankfully, the surgery went well, and when he recovered and was discharged, he confessed his feelings to me."

Chae Ri-na emphasized the sensitivity surrounding the incident, stating, "Since there are victims who are still hurting, we decided to live quietly. A wedding might bring back painful memories for some."

Having lived for over a decade without a wedding ceremony, Chae Ri-na also shared her plans to consider IVF treatments with her mother. Additionally, her fellow DIVA members, Min-kyung and Jin-hee, were seen trying to book Jamsil Baseball Stadium as a potential wedding venue.

The couple's journey continues to unfold on TV CHOSUN's 조선의 사랑꾼 (Lovers of Joseon), which airs every Monday at 10 PM.