Lee Young-ja and Jung Sun-hee Open Up About Trauma from Choi Jin-sil's Passing

Lee Young-ja and Jung Sun-hee have spoken about the trauma they experienced following the death of the late Choi Jin-sil.

On the October 23rd episode of the tvN STORY variety show 'What to Do with the Leftovers,' Jung Sun-hee appeared as a guest.

During the show, Jung Sun-hee explained why she had not been in contact with Lee Young-ja for seven years, saying, "We each had to survive on our own. We both went through such painful experiences that seeing each other reminded us of those wounds, so we wanted to avoid it. We tacitly agreed to survive separately."

Lee Young-ja responded, "From Sun-hee's perspective, it must have been like that. The reason I couldn't reach out was because I still have trauma when I think about that time. All our friends feel the same. We can't overcome that trauma, so we can't come together as a group. It brings back memories."

A photo was later revealed showing Choi Jin-sil with her close celebrity friends, including Lee Young-ja, Jung Sun-hee, Hong Jin-kyung, and Uhm Jung-hwa, smiling together. Jung Sun-hee commented, "It feels like they're cheering from afar."

Jung Sun-hee, who married the late Ahn Jae-hwan in 2007 and was widowed in 2008, shared that she suffered greatly from malicious comments after losing both her friend Choi Jin-sil and her husband. She said, "A few rumors became accepted as truth, and it wasn't a time when I could actively clarify them. I gave up fighting. The waves were like a tsunami, so I hid. I didn't have the courage or energy to fight."

She continued, "There was a comment saying, 'I find it horrifying to see you smile.' It asked how I could smile when several people around me had died. I thought my life was over. I couldn't imagine a woman who lost her husband to death making people laugh."

Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr