Park Han-byul Returns to Television After Six Years Amid Controversy
Actress Park Han-byul made an emotional return to the screen on April 1, 2025, during the broadcast of TV CHOSUN's 'Dad and Me' (아빠하고 나하고), marking her first appearance in six years since the Burning Sun scandal erupted.
During the show, Park opened up about the tumultuous events surrounding the Burning Sun incident, which significantly impacted her life. She married Yoo In-seok, the former CEO of Yuri Holdings, in 2017, but their honeymoon phase was cut short when the scandal broke in 2019. Yoo was implicated as a key figure in the controversy alongside former BIGBANG member Seungri, leading to Park's hiatus from the entertainment industry. In March 2021, Yoo was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison, with a 3-year probation, for charges related to providing sexual services to foreign investors through establishments like Monkey Museum and Yuri Holdings.
Reflecting on her absence, Park stated, "It has been six years since my last drama, 'Love When It Hurts' (슬플 때 사랑한다). Every time I turned on the TV, it was about that incident. I didn’t even look at my phone. It felt unreal. I felt powerless and often thought, 'Do I have to die for this to end?' I was terrified and felt guilty just being on screen."
In search of peace, Park moved to Jeju Island, prompting her concerned parents to relocate there as well. She recounted a moment with her father, recalling how her mother-in-law tearfully urged her to divorce, a suggestion she found absurd. "Many people told me to separate. As a mother with a young child, I made the best choice I could, prioritizing my family," she shared.
In an interview with the production team, she emphasized the importance of providing a stable emotional environment for her child, stating, "The child is innocent. I made this choice to prioritize family."
Despite her heartfelt revelations, audience reactions have been mixed, with some viewers expressing skepticism. Comments such as, "Isn't it secondary harm for a perpetrator's family to appear on TV and cry about their struggles?" and "What the child needs is a proper family," reflect the backlash she faces. Critics have pointed out inconsistencies between Park's narrative and her family's history, particularly noting that she submitted a letter pleading for leniency during Yoo's trial. Although she claimed to have endured severe emotional distress following the Burning Sun incident, she welcomed her second son in August 2022, just over a year after the scandal, raising doubts about her sincerity among netizens.
