Actress Lee Si-young announces she’s pregnant through IVF with ex-husband’s child without his consent

South Korean actress Lee Si-young, 43, has announced her second pregnancy a few months after her divorce from restaurateur Cho Seong-hyun. 

She shared that the pregnancy was achieved through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and that the procedure was done without her ex-husband's consent. 

On Tuesday (Jul 8), the Sweet Home and Boys Over Flowers actress shared in an Instagram post: “Eight years ago, when I had Jung-yoon (her son), who is now the most precious person in my life, I was not married and was filming a drama.”

She added: “Back then, I was younger than I am now and had many shortcomings. And every time I watched Jung-yoon in my arms, I regretted and blamed myself for the time I spent with anxiety and negativity. That’s why I promised myself that if I ever got another chance at life, I would never regret it again.”

Lee then revealed that she had prepared for her second child through IVF during her marriage. “However, a long time had passed without receiving a fertilised embryo, and the topic of divorce naturally came up.”

Lee was previously married to the 52-year-old Cho but announced their divorce in March this year after eight years of marriage. 

“As all the legal relationships were being sorted out, coincidentally, the five-year freeze period for embryos was approaching, and it was time to make a choice, and before the disposal date, I made the decision to receive the transplant myself,” she explained. 

“The other person did not agree, but I will bear the full weight of the decision I made." 

Lee said that she had always wanted a child and did not want a repeat of the regret she felt with her son Jung-yoon. 

“I could not possibly discard the embryo whose storage period was almost over with my own hands,” she admitted. 

The actress said that the only reason she was able to endure her “difficult married life” was because of her “angelic child” who gave her “happiness, hope and inspiration”. 

“It was because I had a miraculous child who made me feel like this life as a mother was the reason for my existence,” she added. 

“There may be many difficulties in the future, and I have had concerns about various cases, but even considering all of that, I want to believe that my choice now is more valuable. And I believe that this choice was a meaningful decision in my life.”

She continued: “Right now, I am grateful for the new life that came to me, and I am having a more peaceful and happy time than ever.”

Lee ended her post by saying she would “humbly and gratefully” accept criticism and advice her fans give her in the future. 

“I will live my life faithfully with a deep sense of responsibility so that I, who am still lacking in many ways, can be there for my child with gratitude for coming to me once again.”

Lee rose to fame after she joined the cast of South Korean reality show We Got Married in 2008, where Korean celebrities would be paired up in a fake marriage. 

She later starred in hit K-dramas like Boys Over Flowers in 2009 and more recently in Korean television series Zombieverse in 2023 and Sweet Home from 2020 to 2024.