HyunA Shows Husband Yong Junhyung Smoking In Paris—Only To Spark Debate Over Local Law

Was he breaking the law?

In her recent series of Instagram updates, HyunA shared several photos from her trip to France. The photos captured her and her husband, Yong Junhyung, out and about the streets of Paris.

HyunA and Yong Junhyung in Paris. | @hyunah_aa/Instagram

In fact, one of the posts featured him prominently. In some of the pictures HyunA included, Yong Junhyung was repeatedly seen smoking in what appeared to be public streets. One photo showed him lighting a cigarette while walking, and in another, he was seen standing and smoking on the street.

After the photos were shared, netizens were quick to call out Yong Junhyung’s actions. According to online claims, the French government designated most public spaces—including beaches, parks, forests, and areas near schools—as no-smoking zones in a sweeping ban, effective June 29, 2025. Anyone caught smoking in these areas faces a fine of 135 euros (about ₩220,000 KRW (about $159 USD)). That said, netizens expressed that Yong Junhyung’s smoking on the street would be problematic under these rules.

Yong Junhyung photographed smoking in public. | @hyunah_aa/Instagram

The new law does exclude outdoor spaces such as café and bar terraces from the ban. As a result, attention is now focused on whether Yong Junhyung was smoking in a prohibited area or not. Korean media outlets also reported on Yong Junhyung’s public smoking, noting “what was meant to be a romantic honeymoon in Paris was overshadowed by controversy over ‘illegal smoking’ issue.”

Yong Junhyung photographed smoking in public. | @hyunah_aa/Instagram

Yong Junhyung is not the only K-Pop star whose outdoor smoking sighting sparked an unexpected debate over local laws. Read more about the time BTS‘s Jungkook faced similar backlash over his smoking in Los Angeles:

Fact Check: Did BTS’s Jungkook Break The Law When Smoking In Los Angeles?