Park Han-byul was once one of South Korea’s biggest stars.
In the 2010s, the former model headlined several films and television shows, had endorsement deals with major brands, and dated one of the hottest K-pop stars at the time.
Today, the 38-year-old works in a café and is struggling to make ends meet after a catastrophic crash.
The former A-lister is raising two children with the help of her mother while her husband serves a suspended sentence for a series of crimes, including embezzlement and arranging prostitution.
In a recent YouTube video, the actress admitted that she can barely afford to put food on the table anymore.
Park Han-byul was once one of South Korea’s biggest stars, but the actress suffered a huge downfall and is now struggling to make ends meet by working at a cafe
“I haven’t had any money lately,” she admitted, according to Allkpop.
“But if I had money, I would use it for food.” If I had 1 million KRW (736.95 USD), I would like to give it to my mother as pocket money. “I run my café diligently, but there is no fixed salary.”
Park’s lavish lifestyle came crashing down in 2019 when her husband Yoo In-seok was caught up in one of the biggest scandals in South Korean history.
In the incident dubbed the “Burning Sun” scandal, several celebrities, K-pop idols and police officers were arrested and charged for their involvement in the Burning Sun nightclub, which was involved in prostitution, drug trafficking and corruption.
“I haven’t had any money lately”: The 38-year-old has retreated from the spotlight and now runs a cafe on Jeju Island. She admits that she has struggled financially in recent years
The former A-lister is raising two children with the help of her mother while her husband serves a suspended sentence for a series of crimes, including embezzlement and arranging prostitution
Located in Korea’s posh Gangnam district, the establishment was a playground for Asia’s A-list stars and wealthy elite – and a hotbed of illegal crime.
The investigation tarnished the squeaky-clean image of South Korea’s K-pop industry after a number of women came forward to claim they were drugged at clubs including Burning Sun and used rich and powerful men to rape them.
A wealthy customer with an “appetite for unconscious women” allegedly asked a club host to “bring me the zombies.”
More than 350 people were arrested during the operation.
One of the most notable arrests was Seungri, who is best known as a member of one of South Korea’s most successful boy bands, BIG BANG.
Park’s lavish lifestyle came crashing down in 2019 when her husband Yoo In-seok was caught up in one of the biggest scandals in South Korean history after a number of women came forward claiming they were drugged in clubs and became rich and Served powerful men to rape
One of the most notable arrests in the scandal was K-pop star Seungri (pictured), best known as a member of one of South Korea’s most successful boy bands, BIG BANG
Seungri was involved as a partner and public relations liaison at a nightclub in Gangnam and was charged in 2020 with organizing prostitution, habitual gambling and violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act.
Han-byul’s husband Yoo In-seok was Seungri’s business partner.
After the club was exposed and investigated, In-seok admitted to supplying prostitutes to potential Japanese investors and received a suspended sentence of three years probation and a charge of embezzlement.
Although Han-byul had nothing to do with her husband’s activities, she received backlash from the public when she filed a self-written petition with the court in 2020 to appeal his arrest.
At the time of the scandal, the actress was filming the drama series Love in Sadness, which ended up being her last appearance in the entertainment industry.
Another series the actress had booked was canceled before production began and all of her endorsement deals were withdrawn.
Located in Korea’s posh Gangnam district, the establishment was a playground for Asia’s A-list stars and wealthy elite – and a hotbed of illegal crime
At the height of her fame, Han-byul won several awards as an actress and entertainer and was the face of major brands such as Anna Sui, Clinique and more.
She was considered one of South Korea’s most beautiful stars and graced the pages of InStyle, Vogue and GQ.
Nowadays, fans can only watch Han-byul on her YouTube channel.
At the height of her fame, Han-byul won several awards as an actress and entertainer
The beauty once had a number of major endorsement deals, including Clinique and Anna Sui
In 2020, after her husband’s scandal made headlines, Han-byul sold her home in Seoul and moved to the self-governed island of Jeju with her son to escape the spotlight.
A year later it was announced that she and her son had opened their own small café on the island.
While she has kept her marriage strictly out of the media since the Burning Sun scandal, Han-byul and her husband quietly welcomed a second child together last year.
After years of keeping a low profile, Han-byul launched her own YouTube channel earlier this month to make a comeback.
In 2020, after her husband’s scandal made headlines, Han-byul sold her home in Seoul and moved to the self-governed island of Jeju with her son to escape the spotlight
After years of keeping a low profile, Han-byul launched her own YouTube channel earlier this month to document her new life as a cafe owner
The channel has received mixed reactions from Koreans, with some feeling sorry for the star while others expressed no sympathy for her ordeal.
“Why does this make me laugh? “I never thought she was that great of an actress… but she’s definitely good at doing the bad cosplay,” one person wrote.
“Considering there are so many celebrities who continue to promote despite their scandals, I really feel sorry for her… She’s suffering through all of this because she married the wrong guy,” another added.
“As strange as some lives can be… who would have thought she would end up married to a man like that,” one wrote.