Korean Star Hwang Hyun Joo Reveals Domestic Violence Trauma

Broadcaster Hwang Hyun-joo, who previously worked as an announcer for Yeosu MBC and an anchor for YTN, has revealed for the first time the domestic violence she experienced during her marriage and the process of her divorce. In a video posted on the Christian Broadcasting System's YouTube channel 'GOODTV' on the 15th, Hwang Hyun-joo stated that she chose to marry around the age of 33, wanting to build a family grounded in faith, but experienced domestic violence she could never have imagined immediately after marriage. At the time, Hwang Hyun-joo was researching 'Domestic Violence and Child Abuse' in graduate school for social welfare and counseling while also working as a broadcaster, but she explained that she reached a point where it was difficult to even continue her studies as she became a direct victim.

Hwang Hyun-joo emphasized that there is no clear reason for domestic violence, and claimed that her husband injured her face by throwing an object, then took her to a dermatologist and apologized, but the violence continued in a pattern. She particularly revealed that he meticulously continued his assaults, evading surveillance cameras (CCTV), stating that when she pointed to the CCTV, he seemed to stop his actions, but then dragged her to a stairwell without surveillance and pushed her down the stairs.

After seeking out a professional lawyer, Hwang Hyun-joo was warned by the lawyer, "Pushing someone down the stairs, intentionally avoiding CCTV, is no different from murder. You must divorce immediately." However, due to religious reasons and not wanting to appear as a divorced person to the public, she could not immediately decide to divorce.

The decisive moment that led her to escape the cycle of domestic violence was the firm advice from her graduate school advisor. When Hwang Hyun-joo, who was considering dropping out of school, was asked about the abuse and replied that her husband "choked her and covered her mouth and nose, making it impossible to breathe," the advisor sternly rebuked her, saying, "​Are you the one studying domestic violence? You should have started living separately immediately."

Following her professor's advice, Hwang Hyun-joo left home and, accompanied by a female police officer, searched the house, secured a hidden mobile phone, and completed her first police report. Although she attempted counseling for relationship recovery for about three years afterward, her ex-husband ultimately never acknowledged his issues, leading her to eventually proceed with the final divorce proceedings.