Jo Yun-hee: 'I didn't know I was that brave' — on her divorce from Lee Dong-gun

Actress Jo Yun-hee has opened up about how she felt when she decided to divorce actor Lee Dong-gun.

A video titled "The day Youngying and Yunhee unni went to eat giant shrimp" was posted Wednesday on the YouTube channel "Hwang Jung-eum."

The clip shows Hwang Jung-eum heading out for a meal of large shrimp with her close friends Shim Yi-young and Jo Yun-hee.

The three naturally fell into a conversation about parenting, perhaps because all of their eldest children are the same age.

"I have an image of the kind of mother I want to be," Jo said. "I wish my mom hadn't drunk, things like that."

She continued: "So I think Roa probably has her own wishes too, and I want to be the mother my daughter hopes for. I don't know exactly what kind of mother Roa wants — probably one who doesn't get angry. But I can't help scolding her sometimes."

Hwang drew laughs when she responded, "That's why I always keep a back-scratcher handy."

Hwang then brought up Jo's divorce. "Your divorce news came out back then — I was really shocked," she said. Jo replied, "I was shocked too."

"The reason I'm bringing this up is that you're really strong," Hwang said. "Divorce isn't something just anyone can do. For an actress to get a divorce — that's a huge thing." Jo answered, "Right, it's scary."

"It's something truly terrifying, having to accept all of that," Hwang said. "There's even the fear that your livelihood could be cut off on the spot. I thought you were really strong back then."

"I didn't know I was this brave either," Jo said. Hwang agreed: "Exactly — it's less about being strong and more about being brave. And watching you raise Roa so well, I think you're amazing."

Jo Yun-hee co-starred with Lee Dong-gun in the KBS 2TV weekend drama series "Laurel Tree Tailors," which aired from 2016 to 2017. The two began dating after the show ended and later married, welcoming a daughter named Roa. They divorced in 2020.