▲ This Yonhap file photo shows Ko Ji-yong, a former member of first-generation K-pop boy group Sechs Kies. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- Ko Ji-yong, a former member of first-generation K-pop boy group Sechs Kies, revealed Wednesday that he divorced his wife two years ago.

In a post on his social media account, Ko said the couple decided to part ways "out of respect for each other's path and to fulfill our responsibilities as adults."

Explaining why he disclosed the news only now, Ko said, "I wanted to give my son enough time to fully accept the situation and grow up in a stable environment."

"I will continue to do my best as a father. Although we are no longer husband and wife, we support each other and are on good terms," he added.

Ko debuted as a member of Sechs Kies in 1997. Along with H.O.T., the group enjoyed enormous popularity in the late 1990s and became one of the biggest teen idols of the era.

Following the group's disbandment in 2000, Ko left the entertainment industry and became a businessman. He did not participate when Sechs Kies reunited in 2016.

Ko married a family medicine physician in 2013, and the couple welcomed a son the following year. In 2016, he appeared with his family on the KBS 2TV parenting reality show "The Return of Superman."

Ko also asked the public to refrain from asking personal questions, saying, "I would appreciate it if you could continue to watch over us with warmth and understanding."

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