[Sportschosun reporter Lee Ji-hyun] It has recently come to light that actor Koo Kyo-hwan and director Yi Okseop had already registered their marriage four years ago, drawing renewed attention to Yi Okseop's past remarks about marriage.
On the 1st, Namoo Actors, Koo Kyo-hwan's agency, issued an official statement: "Actor Koo Kyo-hwan and director Yi Okseop have trusted and relied on each other as a couple for many years, and they registered their marriage in 2022, becoming husband and wife."
The two did not hold a separate wedding ceremony, and they reportedly have no plans to hold one at present.
The revelation of their marriage registration has also brought renewed attention to remarks Yi Okseop made on a YouTube program in June 2023. At the time, the two were publicly known as a "long-term couple who had been dating for 10 years." However, according to the information disclosed today, they were already legally married when the program aired.
At the time, director Yi Okseop appeared on content from the YouTube channel "Ieungdigeutdigeut" with director Jang Hang-jun and Jang Doyoun, where she shared the story of her relationship with Koo Kyo-hwan.
When Jang Hang-jun asked how the two first met, Yi Okseop explained that they had attended the same school and that she later cast Koo Kyo-hwan in her graduation film. She added, "We met exactly 10 years ago."
Jang Hang-jun then brought up the fact that he married writer Kim Eun-hee after dating her for a year. He said, "A dating period that lasts about one cycle of the seasons is ideal," suggesting that marriage also brings new kinds of fun.
He then addressed Koo Kyo-hwan and Yi Okseop, who were known to have been dating for 10 years, saying, "I don't think you two are having much fun as a couple," and adding, "I don't think you want to get married."
What was particularly interesting was Yi Okseop's response. Without revealing that she had already registered her marriage to Koo Kyo-hwan, she said at the time, "But I don't know. The frightening thing about having a baby is that you gain something precious..."
When Jang Doyoun mentioned the film We Need to Talk About Kevin, which centers on maternal instincts, Yi Okseop candidly shared her thoughts about having children, saying, "Because not everyone has maternal instincts."
At the time, the remarks were presented as the story of "director Yi Okseop, who had been publicly dating Koo Kyo-hwan for 10 years and was considering marriage and having children." Several media outlets also described the two as a long-term dating couple and reported Yi Okseop's comments as reflecting her thoughts on marriage.
However, now that it has been revealed, more than three years later, that they had already registered their marriage, the circumstances at the time are being interpreted in an entirely different light.
Koo Kyo-hwan and Yi Okseop have been together since 2013 and went public with their relationship in 2020. Fellow alumni of SVA, the two have worked together on several projects, including 4haknyeon Bogyeong-i, Love Docu, Fly to the Sky and Maggie, building careers as both a couple and creative partners.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
