This popular second-gen idol, dubbed as "It Girl," revealed the sad reality of the entertainment scene for female celebrities after getting married.

T-ARA Jiyeon Confesses Concerns About 'Career Break' After Getting Married

In a vlog, Jiyeon expressed her concerns about decreasing work offers after she got married.

On August 3, she uploaded a new vlog on her personal YouTube channel. Here, she talked about her concerns these days, and updated on her recent status.

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In particular, Jiyeon opened up about how she's not getting any more work after she tied the knot with her husband, professional baseball player Hwang Jae Kyun. She said:

"To be honest, I thought that if we get married, it would be like this to some extent because of our profession, in terms of work. But even if I already anticipated it, it's hard because I actually go through it. It was even harder at first."

She also confessed that she sometimes feels empty.

"Who would I tell this to? I told my husband (Hwang Jae Kyun), 'Honestly, I'm so embarrassed.' I didn't think it was this much, and I feel so empty. I feel like everything I've been working for is covered by marriage.

I don't have any regrets that I chose to get married at an early age, and it's my choice, so I admit and accept everything. However, the chapter has changed, even though I remained the same. My husband always tells me to do everything I want to do and rest comfortably. He's been telling me not to get stressed about work, but it's not easy. It's hard for me."

T-ARA Jiyeon's Debut, Fame, Career Break

Jiyeon, who debuted as a member of T-ARA in 2009, is one of the most popular idols in terms of visuals and fashion. In fact, she was also named one of the second-gen "It Girls" along with Bae Suzy, SNSD YoonA, and the late Sulli.

During her heyday, the group released multiple hits "Roly Poly," "Sugar-Free," "Sexy Love," "Bo Beep Bo Beep," "Lovey Dovey," "TTL," "Day By Day" and more.

However, amid their skyrocketing popularity, the bullying controversy with former member Hwayoung arose, eventually breaking the momentum of their fame as they had to deal with a long hiatus before their name was cleared.

Later on, Jiyeon decided to continue acting, and star in dramas such as "I Wanna Hear Your Song" (2019) and "Imitation" (2021).

Like Jiyeon, other female celebrities who have experienced childbirth and childcare, as well as marriage, worry about "career breaks" for a longer time.

Actress Park Ha Sun once talked about the sad reality in terms of perception of the South Korea's working force of married women and said:

"What's more upsetting is that even if the people at the broadcasting station are older people, there are those who only want to work with unmarried people. That's why I was pushed out of the casting list for a while."

Actress Lee Na Young also said:

"I can't talk about all of the career breaks, but it's difficult and the conditions are not good for women to go back to work these days, especially for reasons such as marriage or childcare. I have a lot of worries about whether to stay at home while giving my child love, or to work while reducing career breaks."

T-ARA Jiyeon married professional baseball player Hwang Jae Kyun in December last year. She has been taking a break since he appeared in the movie "Gangnam Zombie" in January.

READ MORE: T-ARA Reveals How They Were Able to Date Despite Strict Rules

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Written by Eunice Dawson.