K-dramas are incomplete without the heart-fluttering moments that the leads share! It’s hard for the viewers not to feel the depth of their relationship with the sizzling chemistry they have, the fairytale-like situations they get into, and the way they deal with the obstacles. No wonder K-drama fans keep shipping their favorite K-drama couples in real life as well, finding clues in the behind-the-scenes clips and interviews. While most of the time, the romance lasts within the series, there are some of our K-drama ships who surprise us by dating each other off the cameras as well!
Don’t tell us you never wondered how the actors don’t fall in love with each other despite spending so much together while filming and doing streamy kiss scenes! Well, you might be pleased to know it’s not absurd completely! Here are the top eight most-popular K-drama couples who dated each other in real life as well. These lucky pairs ended up finding truth in fiction, and some of them are going strong even today.
8. Koo Hye Sun and Ahn Jae Hyun (Blood)
Actors Koo Hye Sun and Ahn Jae Hyun announced their relationship a year after they co-starred in the popular supernatural-medical K-drama, ‘Blood’ in 2015. Soon after the announcement, the couple tied knots with each other within two months and had an intimate photoshoot on Jeju Island with Marie Claire. They became one of the most publicized Korean celebrity couples who shared almost every special moment of their lives together on social media. Moreover, they participated in a reality TV program called ‘Newlywed Diary’, which showcased their day-to-day life as a married couple to the public.
The relationship was sailing smooth, and the couple seemed madly in love with each other before they ended up having a messy divorce four years after their wedding. Koo Hye Sun is highly popular for her portrayal in the 2009 legendary K-drama, ‘Boys Over Flowers’, while Ahn Jae Hyun is known for K-dramas like ‘Cinderella and the Four Knights’ and ‘My Love from Another Star’.
7. Kim-Bum and Moon Geun-Young (Goddess Of Fire)
Another K-drama couple who fell in love with their on-screen partners is Kim-Bum and Moon Geun-Young, who grew closer during the filming of the 2013 historical K-drama ‘Goddess Of Fire’. All the three— Kim-Bum, Lee Sang Yoon, and Moon Geun-Young’s characters were a part of a love triangle in the series, and Kim-Bum happens to be the one to lose the girl. Well, it seems satisfactory that he won the girl in real life, at least!
The two were spotted together vacationing in Europe and announced their relationship in public a month after the show completed airing. The crew of ‘Goddess Of Fire’ had stated that Kim-Bum used to be very protective of Geun-Young on the sets, which is only natural after we know the reason. They had a nearly-perfect relationship and had been very open about it in the public before ending their relationship seven months later. However, they ended it on good terms and are still good friends.
6. Ji Sung and Lee Bo Young (Save the Last Dance)
The 2004 romantic comedy K-drama ‘Save the Last Dance For Me’ produced a beautiful real-life couple that thrived through every thick and thin together. Despite the characters of Ji Sung and Lee Bo Young failing to become the endgame, they united in real life, announcing their relationship in 2007. They took vows of marriage in 2013 after dating for almost six years and welcomed their first and second child together in 2015 and 2019, respectively! One of the sweetest Korean Celebrity couples, Ji Sung and Lee Bo Young, are happily married, and we hope their love for each other last forever!
5. Lee Hye-Ri & Ryu Jun-Yeol (Reply 1988)
This is one of the rare times when the second lead actually gets the girl— doesn’t matter if it’s on-screen or off-screen! Lee Hye-Ri & Ryu Jun-Yeol were co-stars in the renowned slice-of-life Kdrama, ‘Reply 1988’, and they were supposed to end up together. At least that’s what we had thought before the ending surprised us. Ryu Jun-Yeol’s character bore romantic feelings for Lee Hye-Ri’s character, but since it was one-sided, it didn’t end well.
Fortunately, the two almost K-drama couples ended up finding their routes into each other’s lives in 2017 when the news of their dating was confirmed. Indeed a great example of ‘Perfect Couple,’ there have been a few moments when the pictures and clips of the couple have melted the hearts of their shippers. Last year rumors of their break-up swirled around when Lee Hye-Ri’s latest drama, ‘My Roommate is a Gumiho’ was on-air. However, they shut all of them shortly after when spotted on a date together.
Read: Top Eight K-dramas to Watch to Get You Out of Your Slump
4. Lee Min-Ho & Park Min-Young (City Hunter)
It’s a universally acknowledged fact that both Lee Min-Ho and Park Min-Young are two of the most sought-after actors of the Korean entertainment industry. So when the rumors of their dating swirled, fans couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed and delighted at the news! The two have shared the screen with the 2011 action K-drama, ‘City Hunter’, and as the filming wrapped up, they confirmed to be dating each other. Sadly, their ship sank when this on-screen to off-screen couple decided to call it quits after dating for a year owing to clashing schedules.
While Lee Minho is known best for his appearances in K-dramas like ‘Boys Over Flowers,’ ‘The Hiers’ and ‘Legend of the Blue Sea,’ Park Min-Young is popular for her having incredible chemistry with her co-stars in ‘What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?,’ ‘Her Private Life’ and ‘Healer’. If they reunite someday for another project, it will be a huge hit for sure!
3. Nam Joo-Hyuk & Lee Sung-Kyung (Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo)
Lee Sung-Kyung and Nam Joo-Hyuk extended Kim Bok Joo and Jung Joon Hyung’s adorable and unusual relationship off the cameras as well. When Dispatch released the pictures of the two together in 2017, it caused quite a stir. Soon after that, the common agency of both the actors responded to the news saying that Nam Joo-Hyuk & Lee Sung-Kyung have been close friends since their modelling days and their time together at the sets of ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo’ helped them evolve their relationship to a new level.
While their relationship in the drama has a happy ending, the same is not true in their real lives, as the couple decided to part ways after a year of dating each other. The reason for the break-up remains the same— they grew apart owing to their busy schedules but would continue to support each other.
2. Song Joong-ki and Song Hye Kyo (Descendants of the Sun)
Believe it or not, there is an entire community of fans still rooting for the ‘Descendants of the Sun’ K-drama couple, Song Joong-ki and Song Hye Kyo! Not every K-drama receives the same amount of love and fame that the 2016 military rom-com ‘DOTS’ did and is still one of the most popular K-dramas of all time. The show didn’t even finish airing completely before the rumors of their dating started to circulate in the media. Despite being spotted together, they never responded to the rumors before they surprised everyone when they stated their plans to get married in 2017!
The famous Song-Song couple tied knots in late 2017 with a fairytale wedding only to break the hearts of the fans two years after when Song Joong-ki filed a divorce. Although he didn’t state the reasons, there is a possibility that the two had personality conflicts which they didn’t realize before their rushed marriage.
1. Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin (Crash Landing on You)
Crash Landing on You has gone right for Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin! By the end of being an on-screen romantic couple for the superhit Netflix K-Drama, ‘Crash Landing on You,’ the two realized their strong feelings for each other and decided to take their bond to a new level. They have been dating since early 2020 and were even revealed by Dispatch as the surprise new celebrity couple of 2021! Soon after that, the agencies of both the actors confirmed the news and requested us to shower our support for them.
The couple has known each other far longer than this. Actress Son Ye Jin has made a guest appearance in the 2010 rom-com K-drama, ‘Secret Garden’ starring Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won. Moreover, they have starred as main leads in the 2018 action-thriller movie, ‘The Negotiation’, which proves their bond isn’t just an impulsive result of a few months of togetherness!
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