7 On-Screen K-Drama Couples Who Are Together In Real Life
One of the biggest factors in making romantic Korean TV series memorable is the lead pair. The show’s success as a drama in making viewers swoon and cry (at the right times) hinges on the lead pair’s chemistry. Oftentimes, it seems so real that fans and viewers start wishing the two end up together in real life.
While more often than not, these sparks do not translate IRL, there have been many instances where cupid has struck two co-stars, leading them to date and be together even after the show has ended. Even though some of these relationships end up running its course (Song-Song couple #NeverForget), there are some that have blossomed beautifully into long-term relationships.
K-drama couples who are together
Here are a few of our favourite K-drama couples who ended up together in real life…
Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin
Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin
Nobody would have thought the hero and villain from The Negotiation (2018) would end up becoming one of the most beloved celebrity couples in the world. After playing enemies in the movie, the pair got the opportunity to act together once again, this time in the romantic drama Crash Landing On You (2019). Their on-screen chemistry together quickly became the top reason for the show’s global popularity, leading fans to speculate if the sparks existed off-screen as well. After initially denying dating rumours, the couple confirmed that they’ve been in a relationship since the show ended. The two tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony in March this year and are now expecting their first child.
Lee Hye-Ri and Ryu Jun-yeol
Lee Hye-Ri and Ryu Jun-yeol
Even though the two actors played each other’s love interests in the hit TV series Reply 1988 (2015), they did not end up together on the show. Thankfully for their fans, Duk-seon and Jung-hwan found their happy ever after together IRL, as the couple has been together since 2016. The confirmation of their relationship came as a surprise to even their co-stars who had no idea that the two were dating in real life while on set.
Shin Min-a and Kim Woo-bin
Shin Min-a and Kim Woo-bin
These two have the distinction of being one of the few celebrity couples who appeared in a drama together after being in a relationship with each other for a long time. The couple had been together for over six years before they were cast in the 2022 series Our Blues.
The two met each other on the sets of a campaign shoot and began dating within two months of that. The couple stayed together through busy work schedules and Kim Woo-bin’s heartbreaking struggle with cancer, which he overcame after months of treatment and a hiatus from the industry. Despite being in a long-term relationship, the two weren’t cast opposite each other because the couple has always been low-key about their relationship and didn’t want the focus of the show to be on their real-life relationship status.
Lee Bo-young and Ji Sung
Lee Bo-young and Ji Sung
Unlike most of the other couples on this list, Lee Bo-young and Ji Sung’s love story didn’t begin on the sets of the 2004 drama Save the Last Dance for Me. Their characters didn’t end up together, but four years after the show, the couple started dating each other in real life. They’ve been married since 2013 and have two children together.
Eugene and Kim Tae-young
Eugene and Kim Tae-young
This couple is one of the rare K-drama celebrity couples who are not shy about expressing the love for each other (and their physical attributes) in public. Their PDA became so famous that they were nicknamed the ‘superglue couple’ after not being able to keep their hands off of each other during their public appearance. The couple met on the sets of 2009 drama Creating Destiny, where the idol-turned-actress starred opposite her future husband. They got married two years after that and are now parents to two adorable daughters.
Jeon Hye-jin and Lee Chun-hee
Jeon Hye-jin and Lee Chun-hee
Jeon Hye-jin and Lee Chun-hee’s story did not begin with ‘love at first sight’. The couple, who appeared in the 2009 drama Smile, You together, has an age gap of nine-years between them. It was because of this age difference that Lee Chun-hee didn’t even consider the possibility of dating the actress. But, in his own words, he changed his mind instantly when she drove up to the set in a Volkswagen Golf GTI, which was his dream car. The couple got married two years later.
Park Shin-hye and Choi Tae-joon
Park Shin-hye and Choi Tae-joon
Contrary to what many believe, Park Shin-hye and Choi Tae-joon’s story began much before they appeared on-screen in a hilarious cameo in the series King of Dramas in 2012. The two went to the same university and were majoring in the same department as well, with Shin-hye being a year ahead of Tae-joon. Their short appearance together was enough to spark rumours of off-screen chemistry between the two, which they predictably denied.
Five years after their on-screen appearance together, the duo was spotted on a vacation with each other, after which they admitted that they were, in fact, in a relationship. Even though they prefer to keep their relationship low-key and private, Shin-hye admitted in an interview that it felt nice to acknowledge it in public with their fans like this. The two got married in January this year after Shin-hye confirmed that they’re expecting their first child together.
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