The break-up of actors Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Jin Wook is the latest in a series of break-ups between k-drama stars. Although it might be easy to believe the stars of romantic comedies and melodramas have a better chance at happily-ever-after, like everyone else, they often find dating is not easy. And these relationships may face special challenges. Meeting demanding drama schedules and always being in the spotlight can even make it harder to date.
It was not the first celebrity break-up for Gong or Lee. The "Three Musketeers" and "Nine: Nine Time Travels" actor previously dated his "Air City" co-star Choi Ji Woo fro two years. Gong, last seen in "It's Okay, It's Love" previously had a long-term relationship with her co-star Ryu Seung Bum.
And they are not the first k-drama stars to break up.
Kim Bum and Moon Geun Young dated for six months after they co-starred in "Goddess of Fire: Jeonji." They quickly went public with their relationship and even took a backpacking trip in Europe together but still broke up after only six months.
Actress Song Hye Kyo dated and broke up with two of her k-drama co-stars. She dated Hyun Bin, her "worlds Within" co-star, for two years but their busy schedules kept them apart. Before that she dated her "All In" co-star Lee Byung Hun for a year before they broke up.
Lee Min Ho began dating Park Min Young shortly after they appeared together in the action thriller "City Hunter" They tried to avoid going public with their relationship but were photographed dining out. The relationship lasted only a few months.
Yoo In Na and her "Queen Inhyun's Man" co-star Ji Hyun Woo fell in love while filming. After the drama ended, he made a public declaration of his feelings and she declared from then on, he would be "Yoo In Na's man" and not Queen Inhyun's. However their relationship did not survive his two-year mandatory military enlistment.
Jung Woo Sung dated his "Athena" co-star Lee Ji Ah and was vacationing with her in Paris when he learned that she had been secretly married to and divorced k-pop icon Seo Taiji. Her secret may have contributed to their break-up shortly thereafter.
Lee Dong Gun and Han Ji Hye were co-stars in the drama "Sweet 18," also known as "My Little Bride." They dated for a few years but eventually split up.
K-drama actors have acknowledged that public pressure plays a part in their break-ups. Fans may not like it if the actors don't go public with a relationship and may also not like it if the actors do. Either way, dating in the spotlight has its own set or problems.
