[Sportschosun Reporter Jo Min-jung] Model Lee Hyun-yi revealed the unexpected charm of her husband, Hong Sung-gi, whom she once thought was a "Gangnam playboy," as well as the misunderstanding surrounding Samsung Electronics bonuses.
On the 28th, a video titled "The Husband's Hidden Weapon That Made Free-Spirited Lee Hyun-yi Settle Down? The Unexpected Side of the Husband She Thought Was a Playboy(?)" was released on the YouTube channel "Oh Eun-young's Bucket List."
Lee said she first met her husband, Hong Sung-gi, at a 4-on-4 group blind date in April 2011. The four women were models, and the four men were office workers. She suggested to a male friend that she would bring four models if he brought four office workers, and that is how she met Hong.
From their first meeting, the two spent an astonishing 11 hours together. They met in Itaewon around 8 p.m. and did not part ways until 7 a.m. the next day.
Lee admitted that she was drawn to Hong from the start because she thought he was the best-looking of the four men. Hong also asked for her contact information after seeing her having a great time. His first impression, however, was not entirely reassuring. Lee honestly confessed, "He looked like a Gangnam playboy, so I was worried."
But when she met Hong again in daylight, his personality was the complete opposite of his appearance. Lee recalled, "He was very serious. He was so by-the-book that it was almost old-fashioned, and he was incredibly diligent." She added, "I thought he was the kind of man who would never let his wife and children go hungry." Lee explained that while she is free-spirited, her husband is the kind of person who could live without ever breaking the law. "Whether anyone is watching or not, he follows every rule," she said. She believed their different temperaments would complement each other and help them build a stable family.
The couple dated for about a year before marrying in 2012. Lee said she did not have a specific goal of becoming a successful model at the time. Instead, she strongly wanted to start a family quickly and have children. She later reflected that work kept coming even after marriage, allowing her to continue her career as a model and television personality.
She also addressed the public interest in her husband's bonus at Samsung Electronics. Hong works as an engineer in the semiconductor division and drew attention after it was reported that he was promoted to department head last year.
Lee laughed as she said, "Whenever people meet me, they all ask about the bonus." As the semiconductor industry has recently been in the spotlight, along with bonuses for Samsung Electronics employees, people around her have also been curious about how much her husband receives.
However, Hong is currently attending graduate school under a study leave program instead of commuting to work as usual. Lee explained that he can travel to the United States with their child because he is on academic leave. She then joked, "My husband does not receive as much as the articles say," adding, "Let's just look forward to next year."
Earlier, Lee was also asked about her husband's bonus on the MBC program "Where Is My Home," which aired on the 27th. While touring Dongtan, an area known as a major residential district for Samsung Electronics employees, she corrected the assumption by saying, "My husband is on academic leave, so his bonus is far out of reach." Lee also shared that she once considered moving to Dongtan after taking her husband's commute into account and personally looked for a home there. The family currently lives in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, but she said they even visited Dongtan to scout housing because of Hong's workplace.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-yi and Hong Sung-gi married in 2012 and have two sons. The couple has previously shared their married life and family routine through SBS's "Same Bed, Different Dreams 2: You Are My Destiny."
Jo Min-jung, mj.cho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
