“Reply 1988” actor Lee Dong-hwi and “Squid Game” actress Jung Ho-yeon are ending their nine-year relationship

Actors Lee Dong-hwi and Jung Ho-yeon / Newsis

By KTimes

Actors Lee Dong-hwi (39) and Jung Ho-yeon (30), known as one of the oldest couples in the entertainment industry, have officially separated after nine years of dating.

Both Lee’s agency Company On and Jung’s agency Saram Entertainment confirmed the split, saying, “Lee Dong-hwi and Jung Ho-yeon have decided to be good colleagues again.”

The couple began dating publicly in 2016, making the recent split a notable end to their long-term relationship.

Despite their separation, the two shared a strong bond over the years. Even after gaining worldwide fame for her role as Kang Sae-byeok, a North Korean defector, in the hit Netflix series “Squid Game” (2021), Jung often openly expressed her affection for Lee at public events.

Similarly, Lee mentioned her in an episode of ENA variety show “Kwak Jun-bin’s World Taxi Restaurant 2” in August. During a taxi ride in the United States, Lee said to the driver, “Do you know ‘Squid Game?’ Sae-byeok is my girlfriend and my best friend.”

Both actors are currently busy with their respective careers, their agencies said. Jung recently appeared in the Apple TV+ series “Disclaimer” and is preparing for the release of director Na Hong-jin’s new film “Hope.”

Meanwhile, Lee will star in the upcoming tvN variety show “Rented in Finland” and appear in the play “The Lives of Others” starting Wednesday.

This article from Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by generative AI and published by The Korea Times.