Actor Hwang Jung-min's texts constitute infidelity, lawyer says — but woman's conduct is stalking

Amid continuing controversy over actor Hwang Jung-min's private life, a practicing lawyer has argued that Hwang committed infidelity and that the woman who made the allegations against him engaged in stalking. The lawyer said that even without a sexual relationship, sending messages to someone of the opposite sex expressing a desire to embrace them or saying one feels excited constitutes infidelity.

Attorney Lee Ji-hoon of law firm Law & More said in a YouTube video posted Tuesday that "Hwang Jung-min and woman A can be considered to have been in an extramarital relationship in 2023, and from 2025 the woman's one-sided stalking began — the two periods do not overlap."

Lee said some of the text messages Hwang sent to A contained inappropriate expressions, adding that "it is problematic for a married person to tell someone of the opposite sex that it is their 'first date,' that they feel 'excited,' that the other person is 'cute,' or that they 'want to hold them.'"

He went on to say that a sexual relationship is not required for conduct to legally constitute infidelity, and that meals, gifts or expressions that go beyond a ceremonial level can also amount to infidelity.

Lee said that while calling someone "cute" is ambiguous, phrases such as "I want to hold you," "first date," "I should walk you home" and "I feel excited" can be viewed as infidelity.

He added that Hwang Jung-min's wife would have sufficient grounds to file an alienation-of-affection lawsuit against A.

Hwang and A were found to have met four times in total after first encountering each other at a film preview in July 2023, with their contact continuing through July 2024. The two did not have a sexual relationship and communicated mainly by phone and text message.

According to A, Hwang sent her text messages ahead of one of their meetings that read, "It's our first date — I should walk you all the way home," and "I'm so excited." In two phone calls in 2024, Hwang also said, "Your KakaoTalk profile picture was so cute," "I want to hold you," and "When we like each other, we want to hold each other, don't we."

Hwang subsequently cut off contact with A after May last year.

A then sent Hwang more than 100 text messages, including photos of her deceased pet cat and messages implying suicidal thoughts, and also attempted to reach him by sending messages to his son.

Hwang filed a complaint against A in August of that year on charges including violation of the Stalking Punishment Act, and a court issued a summary order in February imposing a fine of 3 million won ($2,100) on A. A has since filed for a formal trial, contesting the ruling.

Meanwhile, Lee said A's stalking charges were also well-founded.

"A contacted Hwang even after he told her not to, and that alone constitutes stalking," he said. "If she had matters to resolve with Hwang, she should have handled them through legal means, such as sending a certified letter."

Lee added that "A says she is not yet a stalking criminal because she has requested a formal trial, but there is no way a not-guilty verdict can come out of this."