The Naked Truth | What K-drama power couple’s divorce tells us about relationships, and the keys to making them last
- Forget the fairy tale love you may have grown up believing in – relationships take work, and if you don’t put that work in early on they probably won’t last
- Big things such as honesty, trust, connection, are non-negotiable, but misaligned expectations can be corrected, using conflict resolution skills if need be
When K-drama power couple Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki announced their impending divorce last month, their millions of devoted fans in China and across Asia mourned in collective heartbreak.
The two were co-stars of the hit 2016 television melodrama Descendants of the Sun, and to fans their marriage was a fairy tale come alive, and just like their on-screen romance.
Unfortunately, reality bit. Their marriage lasted less than two years. Song Hye-kyo blamed “differences in personality” for their split.
Many people are caught up with romantic notions of fairy tale love and are oblivious to harsh reality.
Such people apparently believe true romance is about searching for their soulmate and lifelong companion; but they have got this idea from the fairy tales and Hollywood movies they grew up with, which offer an idealised vision of love, says Valentina Tudose, a certified dating coach and relationship expert.