Exo’s Chen, Shinwa’s Jun Jin, Lee Yeon-hee – which K-pop and Korean drama stars got married, and who had a baby during lockdown?
The whole world may have been in coronavirus lockdown, but K-drama actors and K-pop stars still had plenty of time for love, with surprise baby news and wedding announcements sweeping across Twitter and other social media
The past month has been filled with surprises as many Korean celebrities announced their impending marriages and even new additions to their families.
Actress Lee Yeon-hee, best known for her roles in Paradise Ranch and The Game: Towards Zero, penned a heartfelt letter to her fans announcing her engagement and upcoming wedding ceremony. Posting it on her official fancafe on May 15, she said: “I have met someone I want to spend the rest of my life with and so I will be getting married. We will be holding a small-scale ceremony on June 2, with only parents and close friends in attendance. [Because] these are cautious times, we will only have a simple ceremony to start our new beginning.” Her company, SM Entertainment, has also asked fans to respect the couple’s privacy as the groom is a non-celebrity.
Just a day before, on May 14, Shinhwa’s Jun Jin also took to his personal Twitter account to announce his marriage. In a handwritten letter, he wrote: “Since I was young, it was my dream to start a happy family of my own. That dream has now become reality. I am certain that I can go through any difficulties with this person next to me, who has always given me strength with her positivity and bright energy”. Shinhwa is considered the longest-running boy group in K-pop, and is referred to as the “first-generation idols”.
Chen of Exo and actress Choi Ji-woo both had babies to announce to their fans.
Chen previously announced his marriage and his wife’s pregnancy in January and surprised fans again in April with the news of his daughter. On April 29, he reportedly stayed by his wife’s side while she was in labour.
Choi Ji-woo, known best for her leading role in Hallyu pioneer Winter Sonata, gave birth on May 16. Her agency, YG Entertainment confirmed the news, stating that both mother and daughter were in good health.
While the news of the births did not rattle the public (because fans had already heard about the pregnancies), the sudden engagements of Lee and Jun-jin were deeply surprising because there hadn’t been any dating rumours circulating before the announcement. However, fans have been supportive, with comments congratulating the happy couples on social media. Jun-jin is the second member of Shinhwa to get married, following Eric’s marriage to actress Na Hye-mi.