Lee Min Jung has not been out in public much lately. One reason is that she is recovering from the birth of her first child and since March has spent some quality time with her newborn son, Joon Hoo.
But that's not the only reason Lee has been avoiding public scrutiny. The actress has kept a low profile for almost a year now, largely due to the blackmail scandal her husband Lee Byung Hun was involved in.
This week Lee was seen in public for the first time since her son's birth.
According to the Korean entertainment site, Hancinema, the actress was seen at a bakery, buying bread. She also met a few friends.
Lee looked chic in a black dress and sported a shorter, more sophisticated haircut. Last seen in the drama "Cunning Single lady," Lee will be featured in the July issue of the Korean magazine "Woman Sense." Whether she will discuss the scandal and the state of her marriage is not yet known.
Lee Min Jung has worked hard to keep a low profile since last August when the news of the blackmail broke.
Here's how she avoided dealing with interviewers during that time.
September 2014: She returned from a two-week trip to Paris and headed straight for her parents' home rather than return to her marital home with Lee Byung Hun. She makes no public statement about the fact that two woman threatened to blackmail her husband with a sexually explicit conversation he reportedly engaged in. On Instagram, she posted the comment "God Only Knows." She later said she moved to her parents' home to avoid the reporters crowding around her marital home.
November 2014: Lee Min Jung accompanies her husband on a work-related vacation to California. She publicly thanks fans for supporting and trusting her husband through the negative publicity that followed the blackmail attempt.
December 2014: The couple takes a second and extended trip to Los Angeles, where they are photographed together looking like a happy couple. Lee Byung Hun was in California to discuss several future film projects with producers.
January 2015: Lee Min Jung announced that she was expecting her first child but planned to return to Korea for the birth.
February 2015: The couple returned to Korea looking tired and unhappy when spotted at the airport. Neither of them wore a wedding ring. Lee Byung Hun spoke to reporters but she avoided comment.
March 2015: Lee Byung Hun remained in Korea for the birth of his son but then returned to the U.S. to film. The couple bought the mansion formerly belonging to Jang Dong Gun and Go So Young to make room for their expanding family.
What Lee Min Jung discusses during the upcoming Woman Sense magazine interview may offer some insight into her withdrawal from public life, the state of her marriage and whether fans will see more of her in the future.
