At the age of 43, Kim Min-hee recently gave birth to a son with director Hong Sang-soo. Witness accounts first emerged of the two being seen together with their child at Incheon Airport, followed by photos released the next day showing the couple taking a walk in a park while pushing a stroller.
In the photos, Kim Min-hee and Hong Sang-soo were seen taking turns pushing the stroller as they strolled through the park. Kim Min-hee wore a jacket paired with white pants, along with a cap and a large bag, presenting a natural and grounded image of a mother caring for her child.
Now 44, Kim Min-hee appeared much like any ordinary mother devoted to childcare. Though she seemed less focused on styling herself, her sense of fashion and presence remained noticeable.
The elegant image of Kim Min-hee from The Handmaiden is no longer the same. While her current appearance—struggling yet devoted to raising a child—holds a different kind of beauty, her relationship with Hong Sang-soo and distance from the public spotlight have also stirred mixed emotions. From being a muse to many directors, to becoming Hong Sang-soo’s muse, she has now stepped into a new role as a mother.
Kim Min-hee and Hong Sang-soo have maintained their relationship for 11 years since working together on Right Now, Wrong Then (2015). In 2017, during the press screening of On the Beach at Night Alone, the two publicly acknowledged that they were in a romantic relationship. Hong Sang-soo remains legally married after losing his divorce case in 2019.
Despite public criticism, the couple welcomed a son in April last year after a decade together. Kim Min-hee gave birth at a maternity clinic in Gyeonggi Province and later recovered at a postpartum care center. For Hong Sang-soo, who already has an adult daughter from his marriage, this marks his first son.
Sources: Daum