'3,000-won couple' from JTBC divorce show responds to allegations of appearing for publicity

A couple known as the "3,000-won couple" who appeared on JTBC's "Divorce Contemplation Camp" have responded to allegations that they joined the show to promote themselves or collect an appearance fee.

The couple said Sunday on social media that "the reactions we were worried about are coming in after the broadcast," citing viewer claims that they appeared to promote a couples account or a restaurant, to earn an appearance fee, or that the show followed a script.

Husband Lim Seung-il said the couple had been running a joint social media account before the broadcast and had been fighting frequently, with the arguments growing more intense over time — not just more frequent. He said he had wanted to address the issue before their wedding, but his wife applied for the program without consulting him.

Wife Choi Seol-hwa said that even if the appearance had been for promotional purposes, "it would not have been an easy choice," adding that repairing the relationship and preparing for the future mattered more to her than what critics might say.

The couple appeared on the June 4 episode of "Divorce Contemplation Camp" as an engaged pair considering breaking off their engagement two weeks before their wedding. Their conflicts — centered on a dispute over a 3,000-won ($2.20) parking fee — were shown alongside portrayals of a husband prone to violence and a wife who showed little respect for her husband.

Suspicions arose partly because Choi had previously appeared frequently in mainstream media as a model and reenactment actor, leading some viewers to question whether the couple's story had been fabricated or exaggerated. The fact that she is now a social media influencer and that Lim runs a restaurant fueled further speculation that the appearance was promotional. Viewers have remained skeptical, noting that past participants on the show have gone on to generate income through social media activity after their episodes aired.

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