Hong Yugyeong Left Apink in 2013: Now She's Weeks Away From Giving Birth

Hong Yugyeong, who left Apink in 2013 to pursue graduate studies, shared a set of maternity photos on Instagram on the 3rd, offering the clearest picture yet of a life that has taken a very different path from the one she started on at debut.

She captioned the post with a note about the spontaneity of the session: already past 30 weeks, she said the idea came to her suddenly and she moved quickly to make it happen. "The weather was nice, and it was a happy day spent making memories with Dangdang," she wrote, referring to an affectionate nickname. In the photos, she wears a white T-shirt layered with a blouse and trousers, cradling her rounded belly with both hands. Other shots show her smiling, resting a hand on her stomach, or gazing out a window.

Also in the series is a couple photo with her husband, a dermatologist she married in 2023. The two stand side by side in a relaxed pose, and observers have noted a resemblance between them.

From idol to designer to expectant mother

Hong Yugyeong debuted as a member of Apink in 2011 and was part of the group during its early years, before leaving in 2013. She went on to complete a master's degree in fashion at Seoul National University's graduate school and has worked as a clothing designer since.

This June, three years after her marriage, she announced the pregnancy on her personal social media account. "Everyone, a beautiful baby has found its way to me," she wrote at the time, adding that she was at 16 weeks and had entered a stable phase of the pregnancy.

At 30 weeks, she is now approaching her third trimester's final stretch, and the maternity shoot appears to have been as much about marking the moment as sharing it publicly. It is a quiet but telling note about how fully she has built a life outside the industry she left at 22.