At a recent press conference for "The Heirs," Park Shin Hye said she wanted to get married before she reached 30. She hoped to fall in love but said that she had not yet met the right person.
That rules out all her attractive co-stars in "The Heirs." With that statement she crossed Kim Woo Bin, Park Hyung Sik and Choi Jin Hyuk right off the list of possible real-life love interests. And that statement also places Lee Min Ho in the friend zone.
While Park Shin Hye has been romantically linked with each of her past co-stars, including Jang Geun Suk, Jung Yong Hwa, and Yoon Si Yoon, she has always insisted that her co-stars were merely friends.
And now she says that she and Lee Min Ho are just good friends.
Park Shin Hye and Lee Min Ho first met in 2009 when they modeled together for a cosmetics company, but because of the nature of the photo shoot they never had a chance to grow closer.
"As soon as we got comfortable with each other, the shoot ended," she said.
But they quickly became friends once "The Heirs" began shooting.
"His personality is so great," she said. "Whenever we work together, we joke around and that makes it comfortable and easy for shooting to continue. He's a gentleman but he's also a little kid and I like to tease him by telling him as much."
Lee Min Ho said that their off set teasing helps their relationship onscreen seem more natural. He also thinks she plays the character of a poor working girl so well that every time he sees her he is inspired to want to buy her something.
"I think she fits her character very well," said Lee Min Ho.
Lee Min Ho should know that she's not just a good actress but also a loyal friend. Park Shin Hye has remained friends with all her leading men. She became friends with Jang Geun Suk when they were romantically paired on the set of "You're Beautiful" and they still pal around four years later. She said they were like brother and sister on set and even hit each other. But no romantic sparks ever happened. She says he was indifferent to her.
"We are just friends and enjoy spending time together," she said.
She also denied dating Jung Yong Hwa and said they were just close friends, even though she did admit they looked good together.
As to Yoon Si Yoon, her "Flower Boy Next Door" she did once confess that the actor was her ideal type, but then decided she did not want to date a "funny guy" but rather one who was more serious.
No matter how the romance progresses in "The Heirs," and it seems to have come far in the first episode, at least Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye will remain friends. And she is a good friend to have.
