YONHAP NEWS

S. Korea's model couple go their separate ways

   SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- A week of celebrity divorces has seen popular South Korean actress Sunwoo Eun-sook and her husband and actor Lee Young-ha go their separate ways after 25 years of marriage.

   Sunwoo said Thursday that she and her husband and actor Lee Young-ha have divorced "to set each other free and further keep their good relations."
The couple's divorce, completed last month, has made headlines in South Korea as they had been touted as a "model couple" among entertainers, and seen as living in conjugal harmony. Both Sunwoo and Lee rose to stardom in the 1970s and 1980s, admired specially for their reported happy married life.

   "I believe our divorce is different from any other one, as there has been no specific incident or cause, we have just grown apart somewhat. There may even be a possibility that we could get back together," Sunwoo told a press conference held at the MBC TV building in Seoul.

   At the press conference, she also offered her apology to her fans and acquaintances over the divorce, seeking their understanding of the decision.

   The two started to live apart from each other shortly before Sunwoo's mother died, she said.

   South Korea has seen a surging divorce rate over the past decade, that now ranks among the world's highest.

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