Decades after her high-profile departure from the entertainment industry to marry into one of South Korea's most powerful families, actress Ko Hyun Jung is back in the spotlight as renewed public scrutiny surrounds her brief but highly publicized marriage to Shinsegae Group heir Chung Yong Jin.

Ko, once dubbed the "nation's goddess," stunned the public in 1995 when she left showbiz at the peak of her fame to marry Chung, the vice chairman of Shinsegae and grandson of Samsung founder Lee Byung Chul.

The marriage was hailed as a "fairy tale union" between a top star and a chaebol (conglomerate family) heir.

But after eight years and two children, the couple divorced in just two hours through court mediation in November 2003.

According to longstanding rumors and resurfaced reports from South Korean media, Ko faced intense pressure and isolation within the chaebol household.

One of the most cited claims suggests that some family members looked down on Ko for being a "ddanddara" — a derogatory slang term for entertainers — and deliberately ostracized her by speaking in foreign languages around her during family gatherings.

While the couple's two children — a son born in 1998 and a daughter in 2000 — were seen by the public as signs of stability in the marriage, tensions reportedly never subsided.

"Her entry into the rigid and conservative chaebol world was anything but smooth," noted one entertainment columnist, who asked not to be named.

Other narratives suggested Ko's personal lifestyle clashed with expectations placed upon a chaebol daughter-in-law.

In one widely reported incident, she allegedly reported a Porsche sports car, owned by Shinsegae, stolen from Han River Park in Apgujeong around 3 a.m.

Media outlets at the time questioned why she was out alone at that hour and speculated about her changing accounts of the incident.

Insiders claim that the scandal embarrassed the family and may have catalyzed Chung's decision to finalize the divorce.

Ko reportedly received ₩1.5 billion (approximately $1.2 million USD) in alimony. In a rare outcome for South Korea at the time, Chung was awarded full custody of their children.

Although Ko exited the chaebol sphere quietly, she returned to acting in the mid-2000s and rebuilt her career through acclaimed performances in television dramas such as Queen Seondeok and Dear My Friends.

She remains one of the country's most respected actresses.

Public opinion remains divided. Some feel bad for Ko as a female who suffered humiliation and personal defeat, while others say that the rumors are false and unconfirmed.

Neither Ko nor Shinsegae Group has publicly responded to the renewed speculation.

Her story remains a haunting one that reflects the cultural and personal tensions of those who dare to traverse the invisible lines between idol and scion in South Korea, a society sharply conscious of class and family charters.