South Korean actress Lee Si-young is in the midst of a divorce after almost eight years of marriage.

The 42-year-old married restaurant entrepreneur Cho Seong-hyun, who is nine years her senior, in September 2017 and gave birth to their son in January 2018.

News of the divorce was first reported by YTN on March 17. The South Korean TV news outlet said the actress and her husband had submitted divorce documents to Seoul Family Court earlier in 2025.

The split was confirmed by Lee’s agency, Ace Factory, which told South Korean media: “They have reached an amicable agreement and are currently in the process of divorce.”

Lee made her acting debut in 2008 and rose to prominence in the TV series Boys Over Flowers (2009) and reality variety show We Got Married in 2009.

Adored by fans for her bright and healthy image, she picked up boxing in 2010 while preparing for a role in a TV series. The show never took off, but Lee kept up boxing. In March 2011, she claimed the national women’s amateur boxing title in the 48kg division.

More recently, she acted in Netflix apocalyptic series Sweet Home (2020 to 2024), in which she received favourable reviews for her role as Yi-kyung, a firefighter and former special forces soldier.

News of Lee’s divorce on March 17 came as a surprise as the actress had spoken about her happy married life in variety shows such as I Live Alone (2013 to present) and Omniscient Interfering View (2018 to present).

Lee and her son vacationed in Singapore in December 2024, with the actress posting several photos and videos of their trip on social media, at attractions such as Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands. Cho was not seen in these posts.

She is now on a work trip in Paris, and over the past week posted photos of herself in the French capital on social media. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network