Wedding announcements have been pouring into the Korean entertainment industry. Recently, celebrities including Lee Yoo Jin, Ha Jung Woo, Big Naughty, and Solbi announced their marriages, receiving congratulations from fans and the public. Amid the celebrations, attention has also turned to celebrity couples who have maintained long-term relationships without getting married.
Actress Oh Na Ra and Kim Do Hoon, often regarded as one of the longest-lasting couples in the entertainment industry, first met while appearing together in the musical Empress Myeongseong in 2000. In 2018, Oh Na Ra revealed on tvN’s Life Bar that their relationship began after Kim Do Hoon took care of her when she became drunk at a cast gathering following a performance.
During an appearance on SBS’s My Little Old Boy in July last year, Oh Na Ra also shared her thoughts on marriage. “People constantly tell me to have a wedding, but we have been doing so well together regardless of whether we are married, so I haven’t felt the need for it yet,” she said. Her relationship with Kim Do Hoon, a musical actor, has lasted more than 25 years and continues to receive widespread support.
Actor Lee Jung Jae and Lim Se Ryung, vice chairwoman of Daesang Group, are another prominent long-term couple. The two publicly confirmed their relationship in 2015 and have continued dating openly, occasionally appearing together at official events and demonstrating their strong bond. When Lee Jung Jae’s directorial debut, Hunt, was invited to the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, Lim Se Ryung accompanied him. In September of the same year, when he became the first Asian actor to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Squid Game, the couple walked the red carpet hand in hand.
In April this year, they also attended a solo concert by the wife of Shinsegae Group chairman Chung Yong Jin together, demonstrating that their relationship remains strong after 11 years.
Actors Lee Kwang Soo and Lee Sun Bin are also considered one of the entertainment industry’s most enduring couples. The two first crossed paths on the SBS variety show Running Man in 2016. At the time, Lee Sun Bin named Lee Kwang Soo as her ideal type. In a subsequent interview, she also said, “I’ve always liked funny men. That’s why Lee Kwang Soo is my ideal type.”
Their relationship eventually developed into a real-life romance, and the couple confirmed they were dating in 2018.
Their long-lasting relationship recently became a topic of conversation on television again. On Maestro Jang, a new SBS variety show premiering on October 15, Lee Sun Bin jokingly reacted when director Jang Hang Jun said he had not known about their relationship. “Isn’t that a bit much? We’ve been dating for nine years!” she said, drawing laughter.
Sources: Naver